A Reason to Hope
by Rick Benn
Summary: Mobius is currently free from any source of imminent danger. The Mobians have never been as happy and content as they are now and the blue hero whom everyone loves finally finds time to relax more often. That is, until a certain pink friend of his finds something within her that, if not dealt with quickly, would cost her life. A classic Sonamy story.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

**_Disclaimer - Sonic the hedgehog and all other characters are not owned by me._**

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It was a regular day on planet Mobius. The atmosphere was safe from any possible harm, the environment was clean and peaceful, the anthropomorphic animals and birds were happy and easy-going. It has been so for the past year ever since The Death Egg. No one had ever expected life to be so full of peace and tranquillity before then. Everything had seemed rather...bleak. The doctor whom everyone feared (everyone except a certain blue hedgehog and his friends, of course) had come up with a deathly new weapon of destruction. It had been difficult; very difficult, with some of the heroes nearly losing their hope, all except this certain blue hero.

Sonic the hedgehog was never one to lose his spirit and drive. The doctor's attack had been unexpected and none of them were forwarned. But then again, it was something they could have been prepared for. The blue hero had always been on the lookout for anything out of the ordinary. After years of fighting the doctor and various other creatures, Sonic had trained himself to never let his guard down, not even for a second. So, when the Death Egg had made its appearance, all except Sonic were stunned. He had known that the doctor was up to something and that was it.

Sonic still remembered how hard he had to fight. Tails and Amy had coordinated various strategies to overcome the massive structure of doom. Silver had come to aid the fighters and so had his friend Blaze. Team Dark had lent their assistance as well and so did the Chaotix. Although Sonic had been reluctant to let Cream and Charmy fight, he had one look at them and then had made his decision (He had never let the two do the hard bits alone though).

They had raged on for months, fighting the battalion of egg-bots that ravaged cities and villages, rescuing innocents, rebuilding along the way, some of them nearly losing all hope until finally, they came across a glitch in the massive structure. Tails navigated his way through it immediately, which aided entry into the structure. From then on, everything was well coordinated. Sonic, Shadow, and Silver had raced ahead into the heart of the doomsday device to corner the doctor while the others trashed anything that would have had blocked their way. Tails had remained on his ship, scanning the level of damage that was being caused through a device and shouting warnings and the like into his earpiece to both Sonic and Amy, both of them alert and cautious.

When they had finally made it to the doctor's lair, they weren't amused that the doctor had one final trick up his sleeve. He had the seven Chaos Emeralds to power up the workings of the device and the massive amount of Chaos energy unleashed a wave over the three brave hedgehogs. The doctor, who had known this would happen, quickly made for an exit, but not without informing them that the structure would self-destruct in merely five minutes, which would cause massive damage to the planet. The threesome was in for a fit. Sonic, knowing that he had to get Amy and the others out of the structure, quickly yelled orders at her through his ear-piece to leave and head back for Tails' flying ship. He then, along with Shadow and Silver quickly harnessed the Chaos energy to transform into their super forms.

The rest was a blur...

Sonic remembered losing his control, he remembered Shadow yelling at him over something, he remembered shouting at Amy to stop crying through his ear-piece, he then remembered Tails having had somehow hacked into the motherboard, giving them an extra two minutes. Then, somehow they were able to grab the seven emeralds of utmost power by finally breaking through the strong container that had been holding them, and, while focussing on their Chaos energies combined alone, they were able to perform Chaos Control and teleported the vast object of destruction into space and, with only seconds left, they teleported themselves back on Mobius, just in time to witness a near ear-splitting explosion in space, the large pieces of the object scattering around above the atmosphere, safe from Mobius. Sonic knew that if they had been a minute too late, nothing much would have remained on the planet. Everything would have been reduced to nothingness.

Sonic let out a sigh as he recalled the huge hurdle they had gone through which had taken up every bit of their strength and will. After the damage in space, Shadow and Rouge managed to track down Eggman who was later thrown into a high-security prison on the far side of the planet that was powered by G.U.N.; and he had been there since. Sure, there was resistance among some groups of creatures protesting against the doctor's imprisonment. They wanted him released and sought ways to ensure that would happen. They weren't hard to manage though. Sonic remembered how chaotic it had been since the explosion in space. Rebuilding had been the top priority for him and his friends. They flew through cities and villages with the Tornado, lending a hand whenever they could and soothing broken souls. Keeping the resisting mobs from attacking them unawares had been a tad troublesome at the time. Now, since everything was back to normal, managing them had never been so much easier which proved that the blue hero could find time to relax now and then.

Sonic, who was seated on a wooden chair at Tails' workshop, shifted to a more relaxed position. He placed his hands behind his head and stretched his lean legs. He looked up at the white ceiling fan that was slowly rotating above him. He then lowered his eyelids as a small smile crept on his lips. Things have been incredibly calm since the doctor got locked up. Except for the resistance from those minor groups, nothing was too much trouble. The Mobians were happy and content. They could freely walk about without having to worry about anything big. As for Sonic, he never felt even more at ease than running through the vast expanse of plains without expecting any form of major trouble. Even though they didn't have to expect any attacks from Eggman anytime soon, he still never let his guard down.

Sonic felt a sense of emptiness crawl within him as the smile left his lips. True, he didn't have to worry about Eggman, however, the blue hero did live for adventure. He always loved a good fight and never liked sitting idle for too long. He spent his days hanging around with his best friend Tails and at times, visited Angel Island to talk to Knuckles. He avoided going there much though, since almost all days, Rouge was present.

The strong, short-tempered echidna and the lovely bat had grown incredibly close since the war with the Death Egg. Sonic had always known that Knuckles had a thing for her, no matter how much the red echidna had denied it. It wasn't until one night when Rouge came to the shrine late after a minor scuffle with a small group of trained cats that things sparked off between them. She had come to seek shelter to treat her wounds and was spotted by the brave Guardian, who immediately turned soft at her sight. That night, it wasn't he who had confessed, but rather her and since then, the two were never seen apart. The blue hero knew better than to intrude upon their privacy, however, that didn't mean he didn't visit often just to check up on his friendly nemesis and his new partner.

Then there was Amy, the pink female hedgehog who had always been in love with him. Sonic smiled at the thought of her. Ever since things had calmed down, Amy was always busy visiting the small villages scattered across Mobius to check on the families that were affected most during the war. He remembered how concerned she had been for the children back when they were rebuilding. On one such day, he walked in on her hugging a couple of fox kits who had been crying profusely for the loss of their home. His heart had ached at the sight when he noticed how even Amy had a few tears trickle down her muzzle as she whispered words of encouragement to the trembling kits. During those days, Amy had been a huge help, never once backing down no matter how upsetting everything was for her. She had kept going.

The blue speedster had never really liked how Amy had chased him around in the past. He remembered that one time in Grand Metropolis where she had claimed to not let him go unless he had consented to the marriage between them both. Sonic still shuddered at the thought, but relaxed when he realized how much she had grown since then. She wasn't as crazy over him as before, although Sonic did find a hint of affection from time to time. Yet, he wasn't too sure about that anymore.

_ It's like, she's a whole new person and..._

He didn't complete the thought as he felt a certain feeling rise within him. A warm feeling that seemed to clear his mind and made him feel...fresh?. He frowned as he wasn't sure what to make of it and, before he could think any further, a young voice cut through his trail of thoughts-

'Sonic, is everything alright? You've been sitting that way for nearly thirty minutes.' Tails, the yellow two-tailed fox said as he worked on a broken regulator. He turned his head for a brief moment to glance at the hero was like a brother to him with mild concern on his face.

Sonic shook his head from his thoughts as he sat back in an upright position on the chair and answered, 'Yeah. I was just thinking about someone…' then, after having had realized what he just said, quickly added to change the topic: 'I...just kinda miss those days when we were always out and about kicking some Eggman butt, you know? I feel so useless now.' he sighed as he looked away from Tails at the wall as if lost in his thoughts again.

Tails stopped working on the regulator and looked up at Sonic. He wasn't hearing that dialogue for the first time. Ever since Eggman got locked away, life has been 'normal' to the speedy blue hedgehog; and Sonic was never used to a normal life. Tails knew how much the blue hero loved having adventures and chasing bad guys. He loved being called a hero. Saving lives has always been in his blood. Now, though, as he didn't have any chance to live up to his name, all he ever did was prevent minor crimes from taking place from time to time. Nothing else.

'It's okay Sonic. Who knows? Maybe some adventure must be coming your way sooner than you think.' Tails reassured with a smile.

'Well, if it is, I sure hope it comes our way fast coz' I just can't get used to this normal life.' Sonic said as he lay back again on the chair and placed his hands behind his head, staring at the rotating fan above which apparently, he was starting to find interest in.

Tails shook his head as he went back to his regulator. He didn't like seeing Sonic like this. He wasn't used to it. Ever since they first met, the two were always going on one adventure after another, always fighting bad guys and saving the world with their friends, Sonic always running ahead, never stopping...

Suddenly, an idea came up inside his head and he turned to his blue friend. 'Why don't you go for a run in the city? I'm sure it may help clear your mind.'

Sonic eyed Tails as if waiting for him to crack up. When he didn't, he let out a sigh and said, 'A run? I'm just...not in a mood at the moment.'

Tails gaped at him, 'What? I never knew you would tire from running!'

Sonic didn't answer as he continued staring up at the fan.

Tails sighed as he once again stopped working on the regulator to look up at Sonic with a serious expression on his face. 'Okay then, why don't you go hang out with Amy? I heard she's moving out of her old apartment today and...I _do_ remember her mentioning that she could use some help.'

Sonic blinked at the mention of her name.

_Amy...? _

He then looked at Tails as he asked, 'Why Amy?'

Tails simply shrugged. 'I just know that she's moving over to somewhere closeby from here and that she needs help. I could go over if I wanted to, but...' he points at the regulator, 'I've got my hands full at the moment.'

Sonic stared at Tails. He then lowered his eyes as he thought. Did he have anything better to do at the moment? No. Did he have some other place to be at? Again no. Angel Island was out of the question since he remembered Knuckles mentioning that Rouge would be spending the night there with him. Did he have a plate full of chili dogs close by?

_Sigh, no..._

Sonic thought back on all the previous days and from everything he could recall, he couldn't remember having had spent any time with Amy. It had been a month, to be precise. She had called once the previous week but he wasn't available at the time and he didn't bother to call her back. They were slightly growing distant from each other and he knew that no matter how much the old him would have liked that, this new him wasn't too sure anymore. He just couldn't help feeling guilty for not staying in touch with the pink hedgehog.

He then slowly got off the chair and stretched. 'Okay, Tails. You win. I'll go over and see what I can do to help.' He then grinned at Tails. 'I'll see you in the evening buddy.' he winked as he took off in a blue blur, leaving Tails at his workshop, who was very much happy for his hero.

_I just hope something springs up soon that would help Sonic get his energy back._

Little did the young fox know of the kind of trouble that would ensue in a few days...

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**Author's note - **

**My first chapter! I don't know if you've all enjoyed it. Either way, kindly review to let me know what you guys think of this first chapter though. Thanks! :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

**_I was amazed by the response I got on the first chapter so, thank you! I am happy that you've enjoyed it. Oh, and I will complete this story so don't worry! :D_**

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_Sonic?_

_Amy_

The two hedgehogs stood at the door to the apartment, silently staring at each other as no words were uttered. The late evening sun was slowly beginning to set and there was a certain sense of warmth and calmness that seemed to engulf them. The blue hero didn't know what came over him but he felt like remaining there, never leaving the spot, and with Amy right in front of him; no one else but her. Only her…

Sonic blinked._ What…?_

The handsome blue hero looked into the pink hedgehog's lovely, emerald green eyes that had a hint of…confusion? He knew that it had been a month since they had last seen each other. Sonic was aware of her whereabouts. He knew that she worked morning till noon at a local cafe and that last week, she had gone to a village not far from where they lived to check on a family of four. It was Tails who had told him that. The young fox was in constant touch with the pink hedgehog, occasionally telling Sonic what she was up to, while secretly hoping that his brother like figure would go over and help. Sonic, on the other hand, never bothered to since he was either too lazy or didn't want anyone getting any ideas if the two were spotted together. Tails kept telling him at all times that he had to go help Amy. The young fox didn't want her doing the rounds on her own. Sonic felt that Amy could handle it, no matter how many times a tiny voice inside kept insisting that she couldn't.

_What if she isn't strong enough? Do you think that she can handle all that pain on her own?_ the voice asked.

_This is Ames we're talking about. Of course, she can handle it!_ Sonic had shot back, annoyed.

_Well, that's where you're wrong._ The voice had argued. _Not everyone can be emotionally strong. You've seen how she was during those days when you were rebuilding, haven't you?_

Sonic then remembered Tails telling him how she needed company since she had to travel for two hours to get to a certain village. Was it last week?

_Wait, is that why she had called me then…?_

An instant pang of guilt coursed through his heart. What if she did need someone to confide in or maybe simply someone at her side? He thought of those days when they had been helping rebuild. Amy had stayed strong but more than once, he had caught her crying by herself, caught her returning to the Tornado after a hectic day with her eyes red. Sonic knew better than to ask her about it so he pretended that he didn't notice. Most of the time, she was quiet, much to the worry of Sonic and Tails. When one of them was close to telling her to head back home, there she was, determined as ever, ready to help again the next day.

It was one of these qualities about her that seemed to amaze him. She cared about others deeply, and she always made sure she could help as much as she could. She loved being there for everyone and he almost smiled at the thought of how it was always she who planned surprise birthday parties for their friends. She didn't care how they treated her back. All she knew was that she had to make them happy. Sonic remembered how childish she had been when they first met, how love-struck she was when he had rescued her from Metal Sonic, however, over the years, things have been different. She wasn't the same fangirl anymore. She had grown, and deep inside, he was proud of the person she was turning out to be. She was becoming more mature, and he smiled warmly at that.

'…come in?'

He quickly recovered from his thoughts as he blinked. This was the second time today. Amy was standing in front of him with searching eyes.

'Huh?' he asked sheepishly.

'Um, would you like to come in, Sonic? Tails must have sent you, hasn't he?'

Sonic gave a feeble nod. 'Y-Yeah, that's true. I heard you need help moving?' he asked softly as he looked into her bright, emerald green eyes that seemed to sparkle as a small smile began to form on her lips.

Amy nodded and stepped back, holding the door open. Sonic smiled at her as he walked in, looking around.

'Wow, a sweet place you've got here, Amy!' he remarked in an attempt to break the awkwardness between the two.

He heard Amy chuckle softly behind him and that helped him ease up a little.

He was in her living room. The room was large and had large cardboard boxes stacked at the center of the now empty room, save for all the furniture. He had never been over to her apartment, no matter how many times he had passed by. He had often considered stepping in for a quick visit but something had always stopped him and he didn't know what that was. He sighed.

'So, um, how are you Sonic? It's...been a month, hasn't it?'

Another pang. _Dammit, I'm so sorry, Ames._

He turned to face her and shrugged as he rubbed the back of his head. 'Uh, yeah, it has. How have you been?'

'Good, actually.' A lie, but he didn't have to know that for now.

Silence. Neither had anything more to say for a whole minute and it felt awkward again. A month had gone by and, although they had been together for longer, it just felt ..._different_ somehow.

Amy realized she had to break the silence.

'The moving service will be here anytime soon, Sonic. Maybe you would like to have some coffee?' Amy asked as she looked at him with her hands folded behind her back.

Sonic nodded, 'Yeah, that sounds great. I am thirsty!' he gave her a grateful smile to which she beamed and then, she made her way to the kitchen, leaving Sonic in the living room. The hero of Mobius sighed with relief.

_Hoo boy, I've so gotta get used to this!_

He then straightened up and looked around once more before making his way over to the balcony which was opposite the front door. Sonic opened the door to the balcony and stepped outside. He walked over and placed his hands on the railing and breathed in the fresh evening air. The view outside her apartment was not that bad. It overlooked the busy street below and there were several other apartments on the other side of the street. There was a popular convenience store right opposite her apartment which, Sonic thought, must have been a great help for her. Other than that, there were several other stores scattered across the neighborhood also. The street was busy with various anthropomorphic animals and birds milling about at this time of the day.

He continued to look out for a couple more minutes before stepping back inside. He closed the balcony door behind him softly and turned to face the cardboard boxes, one of which was open. The boxes had names of various rooms where the objects belonged to scrawled with a black marker. Sonic made his way over to the open one. He didn't want to peek but its contents caught his eye.

The box was filled to the brim with plushies and toys of all sorts. There were loads of them and they didn't look too expensive nor too cheap. They were of considerable good quality as well. Sonic picked up a stuffed bear and looked at it. He then gently squeezed it. It was so soft. He chuckled softly as he put it back with the rest.

_Why would Ames need all these plushies and toys anyway?_

That was when he stopped as he noted something else about the toys. They all looked brand new like they were bought just the other day. The plushies looked clean and untouched and, after testing a few he noted that the toys were working perfectly. Sonic widened his eyes as realization dawned on him. These toys weren't for her; they never were.

The blue hero suddenly recalled those days they were helping rebuild after the destruction of that colossal Death Egg in space. Amy, each day when they had come over to her apartment to pick her up, always held a large cover filled with soft plushies in her hands. Sonic remembered helping her carry them at one point when it had simply been too heavy for her. Back then, he had known that she was getting toys and other goodies for the children they were going to help. Sonic couldn't recall a single day when Amy went empty-handed. If it weren't toys or clothes, she carried along with her delicious homemade cookies or sweets. It had touched his heart then to see how much she cared for the children and adults who had lost their homes and livelihood to the chaos.

But what concerned him now was how she still kept at it. It was great helping others but he was worried as to how she was doing all of this on her own and that too, almost every month or week. He knew how hurt she had been when she saw the plight of all those children when they were helping rebuild. According to him, Amy visited nearby places just to _check-in_. What he didn't know was that Amy still _helped_. He remembered Tails telling him of her gestures and how often the young fox had told him to help her. He had never listened. Sonic had let her do it all on her own, had let her travel long distances to visit families all by herself, had even let her carry those heavy bags of toys and let her be in pain with no one to comfort her and, just like before, he felt guilty again. Right then and there, Sonic wished he had listened to Tails. He wished he had called her back more often, especially last week. Now, as he stared at the contents of this particular box, he didn't want to see her doing this anymore. After one last glance at the contents, he made his way over to the kitchen.

xxx

Amy Rose was busy preparing coffee for Sonic. She didn't prepare one for herself since she had eaten earlier.

_Besides, Sonic deserves this more than I do. He came all this way to help me move after all._

The pink rose let out a sigh at the thought of her blue hero, for whom she still had tiny feelings. It had been a month since they last spoke and it hurt. She wondered why things had come to this. Back in the days of fighting bad nicks, the two had always been together. She never liked leaving him alone and only Chaos knew how worried she had been when he was in the Death Egg with Shadow and Silver during those last crucial minutes. She had felt sad when they slowly started to grow distant since then. Once the rebuilding was over, Sonic and Tails went back to their regular lives while she had decided to continue helping. True, they had helped rebuild homes but they weren't done fixing the broken souls. Only Amy knew that since she had found time to talk to every family and child while the boys were busy rebuilding. It had pained her to see how broken some children were. Some even lost their families in the chaos and she knew that she had to be there for them, to help them cope and gain back their footing, and to help them find a reason to hope again.

It was while doing so that she grew distant from Sonic. The pink rose could have asked Cream or Rouge but the latter was always out with Knuckles and Cream was simply too young. So she made sure to inform Tails of her activity just in the hope that Sonic would come and help, for she knew for sure that Tails would inform him. She even tried calling Sonic directly but he never answered her calls. Even when he did, it was while he was on his runs. Last week, she had wanted him to come along for a two-hour journey to a village since she simply wanted someone at her side but, he never returned her call. So she had to make the journey by herself and she had been much too tired when she had finally arrived back at her apartment.

Amy cleared her head from her thoughts when the coffee was finally made. She gently poured the steaming coffee into a cup and suddenly, she let out a small gasp of pain that caused her to spill a little bit of the coffee on the kitchen slab. The delicate pink hedgehog grimaced as she placed the now-empty pan in the sink and quickly held onto the slab while with her other hand, she clutched her stomach.

_Ouch…_

It was that pain again which had been troubling her for quite some time now. Even though it hurt whenever it struck, it never lasted; and it was always in the same location. She never bothered to go to the doctor since she brushed it aside, claiming it to be a minor stomach ache but this time, it felt different. The pain was sharper and it seemed to be spreading to a larger area. Her mind raced back to check if she had eaten anything off lately but couldn't put her finger on any single day. So it wasn't the food but, what else could be causing her this pain…?

'Amy?'

The pink hedgehog quickly straightened herself up as Sonic walked into the kitchen. The blue hero stopped in his tracks as he saw her.

'Is something wrong, Ames?' he asked, with a touch of concern.

'Huh? Of course not. Your coffee's ready by the way.' she quickly replied as she avoided his eyes and picked up the cup of steaming milk coffee. The pain was beginning to subside now.

The blue hero didn't say anything as he made his way over to her, not bothering to take the cup. The two stared at each other. Sonic looking at her searchingly while Amy looked on with surprise.

This time, he broke the silence.

'Amy, are all those toys in that cardboard box for kids in the villages you visit?'

Amy stared, and then she blinked, 'Oh, well yes, it's for the children there.' she answered as she looked into his eyes, looking for a trace of humor but found none.

Sonic let out a sigh as he heard those words. 'Ames, I don't really wanna discourage you but, don't you think that this may be taking a toll on you? I mean, you've been doing this a lot lately and...'

'No, Sonic.' Amy said with a strong sense of purpose in her voice which surprised the blue hero, 'Don't you see? They don't have anyone else to help them. Ever since we helped rebuild homes, everyone has been busy going about their lives that no one sees what happened.' her voice was shaking now as she continued softly, 'They're still broken, Sonic. They're still in pain over what they had lost and I see that all the time. I don't think I'll be at ease until I fix what Eggman broke.'

The delicate pink hedgehog looked down at the cup she was holding as she continued with a slight tremble in her voice, 'It's all about being there and making sure that they get their strength back. I don't want to see them get through it alone. I want to do as much as I can to help them get back on their feet. After all, it's not just their homes that they had lost, they've even lost their hearts.'

She looked up at him again with a small smile, 'I want to help them find their way back, Sonic.'

The blue hero gaped at her, 'But...you've been doing this for a _year_, Amy. I can now see that this is taking a lot out of you from everything that Tails has told me!' the concern and worry grew on his face as he looked at her pleadingly.

Amy smiled as she felt touched by the concern in his voice and she nearly lifted her hand to comfort him, but then stopped. He was right. Visiting all those children and families did take a toll on her. That was why she yearned for company most of the time. Almost all days, she was filled with a certain sense of sadness and longing. She was upset how, despite being close friends, Sonic never bothered to visit her, not even once. More than just a couple of times, she had seen him whizz by her apartment in a blue blur through her open window and it broke her heart when he never bothered to stop by just to say hello; even if only for a minute. She was well aware that he hung out with Tails on most days and that he even visited Angel Island to see Knuckles and Rouge. But he never did the same for her. She was always alone but she tried to stay strong. Her lack of proper company was always hurtful but she didn't let it depict on her face. Whenever the delicate female hedgehog visited families, she wore a warm smile, trying to cover up the feeling of loneliness inside her. The last thing she wanted was them worrying for her.

What really hurt her most was when she made it back to her apartment after a long day of visiting families. She knew there was no one waiting for her to ask her how she was feeling. She longed to find someone standing there once she opened the door, ready to wrap her in a comforting hug, someone who would lend a shoulder to cry on, someone she could confide in, someone who would just hold her close. But instead, she always opened her door to a dark and lonely apartment. The fact that she had no one to talk to was upsetting that she walked in exhausted and collapsed onto her bed, crying softly into the pillow, that feeling of loneliness engulfing her heart. Why did she have to be so alone? Why is it that no one bothered to visit or maybe just call her? Was she a nobody to her friends? Nevertheless, she never let those feelings get the better of her for the very next day, she would wake up, feeling determined for another day at work or at making her rounds.

That was Amy Rose.

'I'm fine, Sonic. There's nothing to worry about.' she said softly while still holding the cup of coffee which was now starting to get cold.

Before Sonic could say anything, the doorbell rang.

The moving service had finally arrived.

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**There you have it! I hope you've enjoyed it. Please review so that I may know what you think. All sorts of criticisms are welcome.**

**By the way, for some of you who might have felt doubtful, I canceled my previous fic since I didn't want to include my OC. This story revolves around the same plot as that one except for some changes. I don't intend to cancel this one so don't worry. I look forward to finishing this!**

**Until next time! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

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The apartment Amy was moving into was smaller compared to the previous one. When Sonic stepped in, he noticed that it was more like a studio apartment which, despite being small, had a homey ambiance. The floor was polished mosaic and there was a large french window right in front of him as he entered through the wooden door. There was a common bathroom attached on the left while the kitchen was on the right. Sonic moved to quickly inspect the bathroom- it was small and decent looking with polished off-white ceramic tiles. There was an opaque window right above the bathtub and the sink which was on his left was large and spacious. He stepped out when he heard the movers behind him. The kitchen, Sonic noted as he stepped in, was comfortable with light brown cabinets and white porcelain countertops. There was a tiny storage space at the back where a wall had been built in an L shape near the small window of the kitchen. Overall, the apartment could be considered large enough to host a party of at least 10 persons, and it was so…comfy in a special way.

'Decided that small would work better, Ames?' Sonic joked as he walked back into the main room and glanced at Amy.

'It's more affordable, actually.' She didn't say anything more as she placed her yellow handbag on the floor next to the window. Sonic, who had placed her (rather heavy) suitcase next to the main door, picked it up and placed it down next to her bag. The movers were beginning to move all the furniture into the apartment after having had laid out the white woolen carpet - there was a large light pink three-seater couch, a small wooden dining table for two, a large bed, a bookshelf, a cupboard with two doors, and a TV stand along with the 32-inch display. Amy went over to direct the movers in placing the furniture while the blue hero looked out the window. He opened it a little to let some fresh air in.

The blue hero relaxed as a cool breeze blew through his quills. It was getting dark and so tiny lights were appearing on the various buildings and street lights around him. Sonic quickly scanned the area. He noted how this street was more spacious compared to the previous one. Since it was still the active hours of the evening, the street was thriving with Mobians going about with their last rounds of activity while pulsing with life as if the day was just beginning. There was another convenience store nearby that was within walking distance much to his satisfaction. There were several bakeries and a salon as well. A small park was located on the other side of the street on a small plot of land located between two buildings and Sonic noticed some young fox kits and puggles playing soccer together. The sound of their laughter and shouts could be heard even from where he stood on the fourth floor. He smiled. It seemed to be a nice place to live.

_This area is sweet!_

Behind him, the blue hero could hear Amy direct the movers (two beavers and a mongoose) as to where she wanted the couch to be kept. She was being patient and calm as ever. He listened to her voice for a moment and then he frowned slightly. There seemed to be something missing in it. That usual charm of her voice that he had always known was gone. He smiled softly since he had always loved her voice. It was fresh and pure, often very joyful to listen to. It was a voice which gave the feeling of that gentle ring of a bell above the door that rang in stores every time a customer entered. A voice that flowed like a river, lapping across soft pebbles, a voice that he always found wanting to hear although he knew what it meant if she was around him. But now, it was not the same. It was as though she had _deflated_ somehow. He assumed it to be because of the hectic day but, she had been in battles that lasted more hours where yet her voice had still retained the usual vibrancy. So then why now…?

_Nah, it's probably nothing. _He assured himself as he heard her again from behind.

The blue speedster turned around and watched as she told a beaver where she wanted the TV stand to be kept. The beaver began adjusting the stand while stopping each time to look at her as if silently asking if the way he moved it was right. Amy responded with either a slight nod or a shake of the head. Sonic then saw the mongoose pushing the cupboard near the bed. The hero went over to help and, after a brief struggle at carrying each end, they managed to place it at the right location. The tall, yellow mongoose gave a curt nod of gratitude and then left to carry in the cardboard boxes that he seemed to be able to handle himself. Sonic helped around for a few more minutes before he decided to stop for a break. He turned to look at Amy. She was quiet, very quiet. He was never used to seeing her that way. Was it really because of what he did to her?

_She counted on you to be there for her at a time when no one else could; and yet, you still let her down._ The voice in his head said slowly.

_No…_

He didn't…did he? Was he truly the reason why she was behaving like this? Sonic frowned as he looked out the window again. It was finally dark now. The children who had been playing earlier had left with their parents. A few Mobians still milled the street, carrying shopping bags back to their home, ready to prepare dinner and spend the rest of the evening with their loved ones before finally bidding the night goodbye. All his life, he had always wanted to help. He lived to save folks and ensure they lived in peace. And right then, he knew the reason why everyone was so happy and calm around the city at that moment was because of him.

But he had failed at helping _one_ friend...

The pink rose behind him was heard having a word with the movers. She still sounded tired. He assumed it to be because of the hurdle of moving in. Sonic recalled how quiet she had been when he had met her at the entrance to the apartment with the suitcase earlier. The blue hero had rushed ahead, carrying the heavy suitcase with both arms as he whizzed along the busy street while careful not to hit any pedestrians. Amy had given him the address which helped make things easier. When he had finally arrived, he had put down the suitcase and waited for twelve minutes until she arrived on her car with the movers close behind. Sonic had smiled at her with the same smile that always happened to catch everyone's attention, especially hers. The pink hedgehog had smiled back, her eyes sparkling with happiness for a brief moment before she turned serious again. Sonic had then slumped his shoulders and groaned inwardly but chose not to say anything until they entered her new apartment.

A quick thank you was heard and then the sound of the door closing. The movers had left. Sonic finally turned his attention away from the window and laid his eyes on his pink teammate. She stood in front of the door facing him, looking haggard. Her quills looked slightly disheveled and her eyes seemed to lack the glow it always contained. It was as though the day was finally wearing in on her - consuming her in its void. When she looked up at him, it was like she was asking for help, to be rescued, hugged, cared for and loved. At that moment, there was nothing more she yearned than kind attention to how she felt. They were silently pleading; but then, as if knowing how the silence was getting awkward, she quickly dropped her eyes.

Sonic had stood there staring at her with wide eyes. He had never seen her this tired since those days spent on rebuilding.

'Amy, I think you need to rest for a bit, you know?' he suggested carefully, not taking his eyes off her.

She looked up at him again with surprise and released the breath she didn't know she was holding.

'No, I need to unpack. I'll rest once I'm done with it.' Her mind protested against her decision, telling her to rest instead but she chose to ignore it, even the pain that was slowly making its comeback. Amy went to open the box marked 'bedroom' and started sorting everything out.

'I'll help you, Ames.' Sonic said softly and made his way over to her. He didn't wait for a response as he quickly took out a bunch of bedsheets and a pillow. Amy took out the bedside lamp and smiled at him gratefully – it was a genuine smile this time; one that touched somewhere delicate in his heart, and for the second time that day, he caught himself staring at her, before quickly blinking and making his way over to cupboard to place the bedsheets in it. Amy, quite unperturbed by that slightly awkward moment, quietly made her way over to the bedside table and began setting up her lamp in silence.

The two teenage hedgehogs went about unpacking the boxes. They did so in silence with Amy arranging her clothes in the cupboard while Sonic swiftly arranged all the cooking utensils and ingredients (rather haphazardly) in the kitchen. Sonic asked Amy occasionally where she wanted something to be kept and she responded with short replies. Nearly an hour went by and the blue hero of Mobius was getting tired of the silence in the apartment, despite having his trusted female companion with him. It was unlike Amy to be so quiet and composed. She was always bubbly and enthusiastic, constantly chasing him around, asking him to go on dates, crying whenever he was away for long or even before he entered a battle alone. Even during the Death Egg war, Amy had been concerned about his safety and well-being – much to his annoyance or delight. Despite all that, the blue hero liked having her around and over the years, she was starting to change from her crazy fangirling. He was beginning to notice how independent and mature she was starting to become. Nevertheless, he missed the old fun-loving Amy Rose he had always known.

Sonic knew then that he couldn't let this drag on for longer. He had to bring things back on track with her, even if it meant he had to apologize for his actions the past month. So, the blue hero began cracking jokes and recounted his many crazy adventures as he walked about, placing her various belongings around in their proper locations. He could have run which would have sped up the process but, owing to the lack of space, he was compelled to walk. Sonic told her of his recent activities, how he hung out often at Tails' workshop, helping his little brother- like figure fix things while he made a futile attempt at learning. He told her about Knuckles and Rouge - about how their relationship was starting to blossom and get to new heights. Every few minutes, he shot glances at her, hoping to see a hint of a smile but, much to his disappointment, he saw none.

Sonic let out an exasperated sigh. Was he doing something wrong?

_This can't seriously be happening!_

He stopped arranging the books on the shelf and turned to face his former companion and best friend who was arranging the bedsheet on her bed. He zoomed over and stood in front of her, emerald green eyes dead serious, searching the jade ones that met his with surprise.

The pink hedgehog looked into the eyes of her hero and her heart skipped a beat. They were so lovely despite looking so serious, and Amy could find a hint of pain in those eyes. And she knew instantly what he was about to ask her.

'I've had it with this, Amy!' Sonic exclaimed, never leaving her gaze. 'It's unlike you to be this quiet!'

Amy stared for a moment but quickly dropped her eyes. 'I-I'm fine, Sonic.'

Sonic sighed. 'You're not.' he then looked desperate as he said, 'Look, I-I'm sorry, Amy...I'm sorry I was never around to help you with this. I know I was wrong but I just never seemed to realize it. But, don't do this to me. It makes me feel so wrong and I know I _am_ wrong!'

Her heart began to beat a tad faster in response to her hero's apology. Somewhere within her though, the pain started spreading.

'I know Tails kept telling me of your whereabouts but, I thought you had it under control, you know?' He was looking away from her now, as if afraid to meet her eyes. 'I...I wish it didn't have to come to this...when I saw all those toys I...' he closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. 'I-I finally realized everything and I know no amount of apologies from me is going to fix what you've been through, Ames...'

The pink rose tried to reach out to hold his hand to comfort him but a sudden stab of pain that seemed to spread with terrible intensity stopped her from doing so. She quickly suppressed a cry as she bit her lip, tears of agony slowly began forming in her eyes as she clutched her stomach.

Sonic, who had been looking away from her the whole time, was oblivious to what was happening. 'If there's one thing I want most, it is to have another chance, Amy - another chance to do what was right. You've always been there for me but I...' he sounded more guilty and desperate more than ever now. '...I wasn't there for you...'

Amy opened her mouth as if to say something but nothing came out. The tears were flowing down her muzzle now, her face contorted in pain as she began to lose her footing and then suddenly fell on the soft carpet. She clutched her stomach- the pain was searing and unbearable - as if trying to suck the life out of her. She looked at him and tried to reach out to get his attention.

_Why now...? _She thought painfully as she looked at Sonic who had his back turned to her while slowly shaking his head in disapproval of what he caused.

'You're one of my best friends, Amy, and I-'

And then, with the last ounce of strength she had in her before collapsing completely, she cried out, 'S-Sonic...!' It was a voice clouded in pain and a short gasp was let out immediately after that.

The blue hero quickly turned to look at her with alarm and that was when he saw her delicate form collapse on the ground - her breathing ragged and heavy.

It was a sight he would never be able to erase from his mind for a long time to come.

_'AMY!'_

* * *

Gosh, I'm _so_ sorry for this huge delay in posting this chapter, guys! I had been busy with other matters and occasionally when I did find time to write, I could only manage to write a few paragraphs.

Also, I'm sorry if my chapters are too short. I'll make them longer and more engaging gradually. Anyway, if you've read this chapter, kindly review! You may PM me if you have any questions lol

So until next time, see ya!


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

* * *

Sonic _ran_ \- well, that was what he did best.

The blue hero ran at full speed, dodging startled Mobians and nearly colliding with a mother and child, he skidded, drifted, glided and even ran and jumped across the many rooftops that led to Station Square's general hospital.

Amy was in his arms, held close to his chest and Sonic hoped that she wouldn't hear his frantic heartbeat that seemed to escalate with each passing second. Her arms were wrapped around her delicate, shivering form and her breathing was still ragged and heavy. Her eyes were closed and she let out a whimper now and then. Sonic looked at her for a second as he neared the hospital. She looked so…_fragile._

They reached the destination within five seconds where normally, it would have taken twenty minutes for a Mobian to reach the hospital by car or any other form of vehicle. Sonic rushed in and didn't bother to look around for a nurse. The situation was grave already since he had never seen Amy that way before. He knew he didn't have a second to lose as he quickly rushed into the head doctor's office – his eyes frantically asking for help as he held his delicate former female companion close while the startled doctor - a duck in his mid-thirties - quickly came around his oak desk and directed a nurse nearby to get Amy to the nearest medical ward. Sonic quickly told him what happened and trusted the well-known doctor to handle the rest. She was in his hands now.

Sonic chose to wait outside the ward while nurses rushed into the room. He grew anxious as he counted each minute he spent waiting. The blue speedster never liked waiting. He wanted things done fast and if not, he would grow extremely impatient. Twice he considered walking into the ward and asking the doctor what was wrong but he quickly cleared that idea from his head both times. No matter how long, he knew that the doctor would come out eventually with some news. Even though Sonic had nothing to do with what caused Amy to collapse like that, deep inside, he felt that it was indeed his fault…

He figured it was because of all the trouble she had been going through the past month with no one to inquire about her – the long journeys she took to visit families, the emotional moments all spent alone, the distress she had to overcome by herself, the pain she had to endure from carrying the heavy bags of gifts; the feelings left unspoken, the tears left unshed, the warmth that was absent to comfort her after a tiring day and, to add to it all, the hectic shift she had at Cheesy Stakes – the popular burger joint she worked at from early morning till noon where she earned a reasonable amount. Sonic felt that if the reason Amy collapsed was because of him not being there for her when he could, he would be guilt-ridden for ages. He knew he had to have visited her often but, he never knew what stopped him. Was it _ignorance? _He wasn't sure. When Tails had kept telling him to help her out, Sonic had assumed that she could handle it on her own.

_But it turns out she couldn't…_

He shook his head at the thought as he sat down on one of the steel chairs and placed his elbows on his knees. He then looked up at the pale blue wall that was in front of him. The color seemed to ease his nerves as he lowered his eyelids and sighed. It had been fifteen minutes since Amy was taken to the ward and still, there was no news.

_At least I finally apologized to her. I've finally realized what I did wrong._ He assured himself but yet, his heart still felt rather heavy.

But he didn't let that break his peace. He felt glad that he finally realized his mistake of not being there for her. Ever since he had laid his eyes on her at her doorstep hours earlier, he had been feeling strong guilt spread through his soul and his conscience wouldn't keep quiet. She had seemed so dull and nearly lifeless but she had put on a smile for him nonetheless. Even though he had not bothered to ask about her for the past month, or bothered to return her calls or even stop by for a few minutes no matter how many times he had sped by her apartment, she still chose to invite him in rather than close the door at his face. She could have yelled at him, could have kicked him out with her Piko-Piko Hammer, could have even broken down crying from anger but yet, she had welcomed him in and…even made him coffee. Sonic knew that these were signs of her growth. The old Amy would have chased him out of her apartment but this new version of her didn't and he…respected that.

_Ames doesn't deserve to go through this…_

Sonic got up and began to pace along the corridor. There weren't many patients or visitors on the floor he was on. Other than for a lavender furred wolf in her pre-teens who had been shooting glances at him from down the hall near the window now and then for the past ten minutes, he was alone.

_Alone?_

Sonic sped over to the wide, rectangular window that overlooked the parking lot, startling the young female wolf who blushed hard and took off down the hallway. Sonic sighed at her retreating form as he shook his head.

Having girls fangirl over him was never new to the blue hero who, despite his speed and heroics, stood out for his dashing good looks and visible charm. Whenever he stopped by at the market (or anywhere) to get provisions for himself and his young two-tailed friend, he spotted young teenage girls ogling at him from a safe distance and some even followed him about which made the hero speed walk with much difficulty through the bustling market place. Some of the girls were straight forward by asking him out on dates or simply just to hang out. Sonic, who had been single all his life, easily declined politely. The last thing he needed was a girl crying into her pillow because of his rather 'rude' rejection.

To Sonic, having a romantic affiliation with anyone was beyond his list of preferences. He liked the freedom he enjoyed with not having to worry about pleasing a girlfriend or taking her out on dates. He loved to live life his own way, without any shackles weighing him down, and he enjoyed doing so. It was his thirst for freedom and eagerness to save lives that made the eighteen-year-old hedgehog decline females (or males). But recently, since the war with the vile Doctor, when things had finally settled, he had been having second thoughts regarding the matter. Maybe it was because he was no longer required to stop Dr. Eggman or the fact that he was basically not needed to save the day anymore; or maybe even the fact he had more time to himself now more than ever that he realized how settling for a girlfriend would add a new dynamic to this new and very different life. He hadn't given it much thought but when he brought it up once with Tails, the young one had readily agreed to it which led him often bringing it up in their daily casual conversations much to Sonic's annoyance. Tails knew it too. He had always known that romance was what his hero required.

But alas, no one ever seemed to capture Sonic's attention – not even for a few seconds. Occasionally he caught himself glancing at a few attractive females from across the street but he never felt _drawn_ to any of them. He knew that one day, he would find that certain someone who would add more depth to his life, more meaning; and make him feel whole and…loved.

_Loved…_

Sonic looked at his communicator watch. He had to talk to someone and that someone was Tails; yes, he would talk to Tails. Tails had always been his best buddy, his trusted friend, an ally, a brother, a sidekick. Tails welcomed him all the time to his home-cum-workshop. Tails talked to him, confided in him, fought with him and yet, even had the patience to teach the blue speedster some mechanics. Just like that, Sonic laughed with him, ate tasty takeaways with him, had fights with him, played around with his twin tails to annoy him and, at times confided in him - telling him about the aggravating expanse of boredom and the unbearable lack of thrill that he always yearned for. When emotions were so low, Tails had always been there to show him brotherly affection and support.

…_Support._

Sonic then turned on the device.

\- xxx -

Tails was in his workshop tinkering with a toy that Cream, the young female rabbit, had handed over to him an hour earlier after Sonic left. The young rabbit had started purchasing small toys for her pet Chao, Cheese since the war and every time a toy broke, she would run by his workshop to get it fixed. Tails liked helping others just like his best friend Sonic and so, he never declined Cream's requests. After all, it was not like he had anything major to do.

Ever since the war and the two-month-long rebuilding process, the young fox hadn't been able to use his mechanical intellect much. Till then, he was always busy making devices or upgrading the Tornado for various purposes that involved stopping the Doctor. Everyone had always relied on him to scan enemies or hack devices for their aid. They had all relied on his intellect to access hidden security rooms and even his quick thinking to solving solutions. The last time Tails could put his skills to major use was while rebuilding. He had come up with ideas to build safe homes that would withstand any form of disaster, homes that had a separate bulletproof room inside where families could lock themselves in if any attacker arrived suddenly. He was able to put the Tornado to good use too - transporting Sonic and Amy to various villages around Mobius to help the many that were hurt or scattered. His excellent navigation skills were of utmost use back then and the young two-tail had loved the thrill of flying the Tornado. He always did. Now though, the Tornado was kept in his garage much to his dismay. The last time Tails took it for a quick flight was last week. He was yet to go on another one but didn't manage to find the time. The Tornado was also due maintenance.

'There. It's finally done!' Tails exclaimed as he held up the toy in the light and looked at it with satisfaction. Nodding in approval, he carefully placed it aside.

'I need to go over to Vanilla's tomorrow to return it.' Tails said to himself as he looked around the table. There was nothing more left to do for the day. He spotted the blueprint of an upgraded Tornado rolled up and kept in the corner and opened it up to study it.

Tails had been hoping to bring forth the changes drawn on the blueprint but recent activities forced him to put away the task. To make up for all the free time, Tails attended day classes and noon workshops to a prestigious engineering center which was located a few blocks away. There was a well-known walrus who visited the center for seminars and weekly training sessions twice a week which the young fox looked forward too with much interest.

The walrus was learned and humble. He was always patient with his students and loved interacting with them. Unbeknownst to Tails, the walrus was especially intrigued by him - always looking for the two-tail every time he entered the classroom. Tails' curiosity, his eagerness to learn, his brilliant questions, exceptional intellect at building things or fixing them, amazed the middle-aged walrus which prompted he provide extra weekend classes for the bright young fox. It was with the help of the lessons learned from one of such classes that Tails had come up with the blueprint. He had run it by his mentor and the walrus had been much too pleased.

'I see you've come up with this on your own...' he had asked softly while studying the blueprint closely.

Tails had looked away from him, feeling slightly embarrassed. 'Um…yeah. I did. What do you think?'

The walrus had then handed the blueprint back with a proud smile and a sparkle in his eye. He didn't have to utter a word to say what he thought of it.

The young prodigy rolled up the blueprint and placed it back on the corner. He decided that he would start working on it the next day after dropping by at Vanilla's to return the toy he had fixed a moment ago. Tails then got up and went over to the living room and lay back on the couch with a tech magazine he had picked up earlier from a small store. It was now completely dark and was close to bedtime. Tails thought about Sonic.

_I wonder what could be making him take so long to return?_

Tails sat up and considered calling Sonic from his communicator but then decided against it.

_He's probably still helping Amy, or maybe he's going to stay there for dinner! _He thought happily, knowing that this break from Sonic's routine would help clear the hero's mind.

Tails was about to start reading the first paragraph of an article when his device started beeping suddenly with a call from Sonic. Startled, he turned on the device to answer the call.

'Sonic?' Tails asked and then laughed, 'You wouldn't believe it but I was _just_ about to call you!'

'Hey, Tails.' Sonic responded from the other end. 'What're you...up to?' He sounded slightly off and nervous, much to Tails' surprise. When was the last time he had heard Sonic sound nervous?

'Well, I was just about to read a magazine but Sonic why do you-'

'A magazine? That's cool. I could use anything to clear my head right now.'

'Uh, right.' Tails said, feeling confused. 'I'm sure Amy must be having some books to read around there?'

Silence followed.

Tails frowned as he waited for a response. He could hear Sonic's soft breathing on the other end. Something was not right.

'Sonic, are you-'

'Amy she…she's…' Sonic cut in but hesitated. 'She's…at the hospital, Tails.'

Sudden anxiety filled the mind of the young fox as he let his jaw drop while frowning at the wall in front of him. 'Wha-What happened to her?'

A sigh could be heard from the other end. 'She…_collapsed_, Tails. I don't know what happened. It was all too sudden while we were at her apartment and I quickly rushed her over to the hospital. I-I haven't heard anything from the doctor yet…'

'What do you think caused her to collapse? Was she feeling weak when you saw her?' Tails asked with worry mixed with confusion. Amy _never_ collapsed.

There was a long silence this time and Tails could hear Sonic take in a deep breath. 'I-I don't know, Tails. It…could have been because of…me, you know?'

'_You…?_'

'Um…because I was never there for her when she needed me. Tails, what if she was in pain all along and if I had spotted it earlier, we could've averted it. But…' he sighed again, '…but I didn't.'

Tails realized what Sonic was finally admitting. The famed hero of Mobius had understood his mistake of not going to see her at all the past month. It had been an entire month, hadn't it? The young two-tail felt upset that it had to be that way. He recalled telling Sonic to go help Amy often but the former had always chosen not to comply. He was always out running or exploring instead, much to Tails' dismay and annoyance. He could have gone to see Amy himself but the morning classes and afternoon workshops always took a toll on the young fox, making him yearn for a long nap right after he got back home. Once he got up, it would already be too late to go visit. Weekends were out of the question because of the extra training sessions he got from the intelligent walrus that Tails simply did not want to miss. That was why he had always told Sonic to go help her instead since the blue speedster was always free. And now there he was, blaming himself for what happened to Amy; but Tails knew that everything started somewhere, and for Sonic, this was it.

'Hey, don't blame yourself. I'm sure it must have been something else, Sonic.' and Tails hoped his words were true. He didn't want his brother-like-figure blaming himself over this. 'I'm sure it must have been out of fatigue or something. I'm certain she'll be up and running soon.'

Tails heard Sonic heave a sigh of relief. 'Thanks, buddy. I hope she does.'

'Are you okay there by yourself?' Tails asked kindly.

'Yeah, I am. Don't worry, Tails.' he sighed. 'I think I'll wait for a bit longer...see if the doc comes out anytime this century.'

'Sonic, you know that if there's anything you need, I'll be there for you, right?' Tails reassured him.

There wasn't a response for a moment and Tails started to worry; but then Sonic spoke: 'Yeah, I know. See ya, Tails.'

There was a click and the call ended. Tails let out a sigh and he turned off the device. He looked at the magazine that he had been about to read but now felt uninterested to do so. His head was swirling with questions and doubts. Amy had never collapsed due to anything before. She had always been strong and able-bodied, never ready to back down from a fight, and no matter how much she fought, she was never too weak to collapse; so then why now?

Tails decided that he would stay up till Sonic got back. He made up his mind that if Sonic took longer than two more hours, he would go over to the hospital. And so he went back to his workshop and took the blueprint he had been studying earlier and then made his way over to the garage. Tails switched on the lights of the garage and beheld the bi-plane that had helped him and his friends countless times. It was this plane that had aroused his interest in machinery all those years ago when he had first met Sonic, the plane that he and Sonic flew many times, with Tails as the pilot and the ever-so-enthusiastic blue hero on the top wing - both enjoying the thrill of freedom they gained being up in the sky...while exploring places and saving lives.

Tails smiled in happiness at all those fond memories and pinned the blueprint onto a wooden board on the wall. After taking a deep breath and letting it out, he started to work on the Tornado.

\- xxx -

Sonic stared out the window of the hospital as he placed a hand under his chin. He lowered his eyelids as he looked down at the empty parking lot below him. Except for a few cars, the lot was empty. He noticed that it was getting late and he closed his eyes with exasperation and shook his head.

_You know that if there's anything you need, I'll be there for you, right?_ Tails had reassured him. When he had heard that, Sonic had stared at the faint reflection of himself on the window, staring at his own emerald eyes as if searching for a reason why he felt the way he did. It was a silent contemplation – a connection with his soul that he had refused to listen to. What he wanted most at that moment was to have the past month back – all those moments that had gone by when he could have helped her, or simply been there for her. If he had done that, he would have at least known what was troubling her and could have seen it coming.

_Dammit…_

He looked away from the window and rubbed his arms. The chill air in the hospital was finally getting to him.

'Sonic?'

He turned when he heard his name called and immediately straightened up. The doctor had finally come out from the ward and was making his way over with a clipboard held in his hand. The doctor never took his eyes off the anxious blue hero as he reached him and stopped a few feet away. He went through a few notes he had scribbled onto a paper clipped onto the board and then looked at the emerald green eyes.

'Right, well, she's okay for now.' the doctor said in a tired voice.

Sonic waited for more and before he could say anything, the doctor added: 'But I'm afraid she'll have to stay here for a couple of days at least, son. She isn't doing _too_ well. We've run tests and scans on her but we haven't arrived at a reason for her sudden collapse. That will take some time. For now, all I can say is that she's got a fever.'

The doctor rubbed his eyes with his free hand. He was exhausted with not having had found any results till now. 'I've asked a nurse to get a sample of her blood tested. The results could take a few minutes more to arrive. Till then, I suggest you wait or if you want to go back-'

'May I see her?' emerald eyes frantically searched the startled blue orbs for a positive response.

'Well um, she's asleep now. Wait for nurse Roslyn to come out from the ward. She'll let you know if you can.' with that and a quick nod, the doctor walked down the corridor away from Sonic who stood there looking down at the tiled floor.

'I'll be down at the lab if you need me, Sonic.' the doctor called back as he turned at a corner. There was respect in his voice. The doctor knew that Sonic deserved it for everything the hero had done for their world. Wherever Sonic went, he got silent respect although he failed to notice it. He truly was a much loved and admired hero of Mobius.

Sonic gave a subtle nod and then zoomed over to the ward. For some odd reason, the blue speedster felt a slight tingling sensation but couldn't figure out what caused it. He pondered over it for a while as he stood just outside the wooden double doors and then moved to open them. Just as he was about to pull the knob, he quickly remembered about Roslyn.

Sonic closed his eyes as he recalled what the doctor had said about not knowing what caused Amy to collapse. What if it was something serious? If it wasn't, then the doctor would have surely arrived at a cause, right? Sonic didn't want to think any further as he formed his hands into fists out of frustration and growing worry.

_Amy…_

The door opened and he quickly looked up to find a grey-haired squirrel in her mid-forties looking at him with concern. The nameplate on her white shirt read 'Roslyn Spark'. She gave him a small, reassuring smile.

'She's awake, sweetie; if you'd like to see her.'

\- xxx -

Rouge the Bat was with Knuckles who was seated on the top step that led to the Master Emerald. They were looking out at the starry Mobian sky while also staying alert for any minor faction that could attack them to steal the Emerald. It had happened a day ago when she was having dinner with Knuckles and it didn't go so well since they had been caught unawares. This time though, they were determined to not let it happen again. For this very reason, the brave red Guardian stayed awake late into the night, never once intending to slack in his duty. Rouge was concerned but knew better than to argue. And so she stayed up with him for as long as she could.

It had been a quiet night so far, with neither of them being aware of what was taking place down below them. The floating Angel Island, for being isolated from the continent, had its affairs and matters to be looked into. Right now though, the soul agenda for the strong red Guardian was to safeguard the Master Emerald from any minor faction that attempted to steal it. Being the last of the Knuckles Clan never seemed to bother him too much. He always knew that no matter what, he had to fulfill his duty. The past week had been rather hectic with multiple factions attempting to steal the Emerald. He had been thoroughly annoyed at the occurrences knowing well that although the main villain had been beaten, he still couldn't relax like the rest of the Mobians below him. Knuckles had cursed when he had been caught unawares two days ago. With Rouge's help, they had been able to beat the trained cats. It had taken Rouge nearly an hour to calm him down after the single incident. Knuckles nevertheless, decided to stay vigilant and to add to the headache, something had been bothering him recently – something deep and unexplainable.

'Knuckles?' Rouge asked him softly, cutting into his trail of thoughts. The brave echidna had been silent for some time now which caused her to worry. He shook his head from his reverie.

'What is it?' he asked, not taking his eyes off the starry night sky.

She inched a little closer, their knees touching as she placed a hand on his arm. 'What's the matter? You've been too quiet.'

Knuckles rubbed his forehead with exasperation. 'I don't know. I'm sorry. It's just that I've been feeling something lately and I don't know w_hat_.'

She frowned slightly in confusion. 'Feeling something?'

Knuckles closed his eyes for a brief moment and then spoke. 'I can sense it coming from the Master Emerald. It looks like there is negative Chaos energy somewhere that I'm not too sure of.'

'That's impossible. The Emeralds have been kept at a safe place where they can't be accessed easily by anyone. So no one could have taken them.'

Knuckles sighed. 'I know. That's the thing, Rouge. I'm not too sure…' he turned to look at the massive green emerald of mystical power that was shining in silent glory. The brave Guardian stared at it in silence, as if asking for answers. He considered contacting Tikal but something in him told him that wasn't necessary.

Knuckles sighed. 'I guess we'll just have to wait and see.'

\- xxx -

The door to the ward that Amy was in opened slightly as the blue hero popped his head in. There was that weird tingling feeling again but he chose to ignore it.

Sonic spotted Amy lying on the hospital bed, tucked underneath the blue quilt. She seemed to be asleep. He frowned. Wasn't he told that she was awake? Then, as if in response to his question, she fluttered her eyes open and stared out the open window that was on her left. She looked frail and withered. Sonic's eyes softened at her sight and he went over to her.

'Hey, Amy.'

The pink rose turned her head slightly and let a smile form on her lips when she spotted her hero approach. Her eyes seemed to light up, even if it was only for a brief moment. It touched his heart that he was able to raise her spirits by just being there at that very moment, and deep inside, he was grateful he chose to stay.

Sonic sat down on the edge of the bed gently and looked into her jade orbs with a smile. 'How are you feeling now?'

'Tired…' came the response, barely in a whisper. It was as if it hurt her even to speak and the blue hero considered letting her rest for longer; but, knowing that he was here now, he decided he would stay by her side till she fell asleep. It was the least he could do for not having had looked out for her the past month.

'You'll be okay, Ames. I know it.' he said and gave her an encouraging smile. She smiled back and slowly nodded.

Seeing her like that hurt him somewhere deep. For a brief moment, he had the urge to hold her close but quickly dismissed the idea with alarm. He had been feeling that way since he stood at her doorstep earlier and he still couldn't understand why. Sonic knew that he had never felt anything for Amy all his life so then why now…?

_Damn, this is all too confusing._ He shook his head as if to clear it from the thought.

Sonic then turned to look at her and they locked eyes. She had been looking at him the whole time with intrigue. It was as though she knew what had been going on in his mind and so he turned his head away from her, a slight blush forming on his cheeks. Even though Amy was bed-ridden for now, looking frail and weak, with her quills disheveled and her eyes without their regular sparkle, she still looked so beautiful.

And Sonic knew that was the reason why he had been unable to take his eyes off of her when they had locked twice earlier that day in the apartment. It was as if he was noticing her for the first time. Seeing the delicate pink hedgehog in this vulnerable form now made him feel guilty again.

'I wish I could've seen this coming, Ames.' he said softly as he shook his head in disapproval of himself.

'It's not your fault, Sonic.' she said softly. 'I should have been the one to have seen this coming but…I didn't.'

'Do you know what caused it though?'

Amy thought for a while as she bit her lip. 'I-I'm not so sure. I've been having this stomach ache since last month and it got worse today, I guess.'

Sonic frowned. 'A stomach ache…?' He asked softly, more to himself than to her. He then turned to look out the window and felt the cool night breeze blow through his quills. He wondered how things ended up being this way. He even wondered why the doctor hadn't found a reason for her collapse. Did stomach aches cause someone to _collapse_?

_I guess Tails was wrong. Ames didn't collapse out of fatigue, but out of…pain._

'Why didn't you…tell us, Amy? You could've at least told Tails, right?' Sonic asked as he looked at her, concern etched in his voice.

'I…' she averted her eyes away from her blue hero as she spoke, 'I thought it was nothing serious.'

'It turned out to be something even worse.' He looked away as he added, 'I've never _seen_ you that way before, Amy. When you collapsed, you looked so…_vulnerable_ for the first time.'

Amy giggled softly and said, 'I think I may have been vulnerable while in combat before.'

Sonic shook his head as he smiled at her with a sparkle in his eye, 'You've never been vulnerable before this, Ames.'

They then stared at each other in silence, a small smile dancing on their lips. Two hedgehogs who had known each other since they were mere children, the two of them who had been on countless adventures together, countless dangers and even a few 'unromantic' dates and now, here they were, together again after an entire month. Neither of them saw this coming. The blue hero had never bothered enough about her and the pink rose thought things would never be the same between them again, but now, here they were talking and having fun like as though they had never been apart.

Amy stared at her hero with a warm smile and she felt sleep get to her slowly. Her eyes grew tired as she felt fatigued. Sonic saw this and he knew it was time for him to leave. He felt tempted to hold her hand to reassure her that she'd be okay but refrained from doing so. Then, the door to the ward opened.

'Sonic.'

'Yes?' the famous blue hero turned to face the doctor who stood at the door. He motioned for Sonic to come out. Sonic got off the bed but before he turned to leave, he shot one last glance at his former pink companion. He smiled as he saw that she was finally asleep. Sonic made a mental note that he would come back again first thing the next morning as he made for the door the doctor held open for him. Once he was outside, he turned serious again.

'So, did you find anything from her blood test?'

The duck shook his head slightly as he retrieved a tiny test tube. 'That's the issue, Sonic. I just simply can't figure out what's wrong with her, and this is simply too bizarre.' He held out the test tube for Sonic to see and the hero felt his breath catch in his throat, 'I've never seen anything like this before my whole life.'

Sonic stared wide-eyed at the small test tube that contained a tiny quantity of Amy's blood. Around the tube, a shimmering green light seemed to surround it that seemed to be throbbing with each passing second. At that very moment, the tingling sensation from earlier seemed to escalate within him. The blue hero instantly knew what it was.

_Chaos..._

* * *

Right. lol

Okay so, I've finished the fourth chapter. Hooray!

Once again, I'm sorry for the delay in posting this. It's not too easy to find the time to write every day. You see, I'm an artist as well. So I draw occasionally and I'm building up a portfolio. But...it's not like I abandon writing completely. I enjoy doing this. I really do. :)

Getting reviews and having my story followed makes me feel so happy and so I would like to thank you for staying with me until this chapter, although everything is only beginning for everyone. It just gives me hope, you know? And it sure does mean a lot. So, thank you! :D

Also, if you guys have read this, please review?

Until next time, see ya!


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

* * *

Sonic was pacing the corridor once again – this time though, he was pacing quickly. He counted each minute that flew past, getting agitated. It was at times like this that the blue hero wished everything around him went as fast as he was. At the back of his mind, a nagging thought kept repeating itself.

_Chaos…how the heck does Amy even have chaos energy within her?_

Sonic tried to think back to those days when they had been fighting the Death Egg. He tried to recall any time at all that she may have been sidetracked or injured, even. He was aware that she and the others had been on the giant war machine clearing the way for him, Shadow and Silver. Did something happen back then that could have caused this? But he couldn't remember hearing her ever complain about a stomach ache back then or any other form of pain. It was during the rebuilding months when he had seen her get tired or even exhausted at least. Back then, Sonic assumed that the reason why she felt that way was because of all the running the threesome did - locating missing Mobian children or adults, carrying supplies, comforting young children, clearing debris. Sonic, at that time, had never lost sight of what his two teammates were doing. He had an eye on them at all times, making sure they were safe and alright.

_Right. So then, how? Did I by chance miss an opportunity to keep an eye on her? Did anything happen while I wasn't around or something?_

Sonic then wondered if she got attracted by the Chaos energy while she was out doing her rounds. But he discarded that thought, telling himself that everything had been cleared or taken care of in the surroundings to help rebuild. Nothing unusual had been left ignored.

Or was that just an assumption? He never knew for sure, did he?

'Sonic!'

Sonic turned when he heard his name called from down the hall; when he saw who it was, his nerves finally eased. Tails came running down the hall to his best friend. He covered the remaining distance by flying over to him with his twin tails. The young fox landed a few steps away and started to pant heavily.

Sonic had called him a few minutes back, asking him if he could get to the hospital ASAP after having explained what he discovered. The young fox, who had sensed the tension in his voice, had readily agreed, assuring him that he would be there in ten minutes flat. But those ten minutes stretched to fifteen and that was what made the blue speedster restless. At least now that Tails was finally here; Sonic could relax and get some answers to the questions that raged his mind.

Sonic bent down to face him with concern. 'Hey, Tails. You okay there?'

Tails nodded and said, 'Yeah, I am.' He stood up then and faced Sonic, a look of worry on his face. 'How is she, Sonic?' Tails asked with a slight tremble in his voice. The young fox had hoped that it wouldn't be anything serious but the look on Sonic's face denied that possibility. Even though Tails had assured him earlier saying that Amy would get well quickly, right now he was starting to have his doubts.

Sonic looked into the bright blue orbs of his best friend and said, 'I suppose we'll have to go in and see for ourselves, Tails.'

To Sonic, it seemed that Tails was more concerned for his former teammate than anything else at the moment. Tails didn't seem to care that he was exhausted from all the running, or the fact that he was called all too suddenly. Sonic knew that it was way past bedtime for the young fox and that he had to be up early the next day to attend his day classes at that institute the blue hero didn't know much about. Tails' concern for Amy touched Sonic, who felt grateful that even though he had not spoken to Amy for a month, at least Tails had kept in contact with her. After all, it was because of Tails that Sonic was even there at the hospital. The blue hero wondered how things would have been had he refused to go see her when Tails had asked. An image crept into his mind of Amy lying collapsed on the floor of her apartment with no one to take her to the hospital - her fragile and delicate form unmoving, and her feeling so alone and...helpless.

Sonic shook his head to clear it from that image. He didn't need to think of that. The possibility of that happening anymore has been wiped out. All he had to do now was to focus on the present where he needed support to help cure Amy. And so he looked at Tails - the one friend of his who could help him find the answers he so desperately needed.

Tails nodded in response to Sonic's suggestion and then the blue hero led him through the wooden double doors that led to Amy's ward.

As soon as they stepped in, the brave young fox felt the air shift slightly. It aroused a troubling sensation within him that gave him an irresistible urge to back out and leave. But he chose to stay. He didn't want to leave when Sonic needed him now more than ever.

Tails had harnessed Chaos energy before - the first time being when he and Sonic explored Angel Island; the other time he used Chaos energy was when Sonic had shared his while they were facing Metal Overlord. It had been an incredible surge of power within him back then and the young fox had limited using it since. Tails never found the reason to transform into his super form since Sonic was always able to handle whatever it was that came his way. Now, with the help of Shadow and Silver, the blue hero was never alone when he needed assistance. The energy Tails felt around Sonic whenever he was in his super form had always been calming and positive in a certain way. This feeling that he got now as he made his way over to Amy's bed was different - it was more pulsating and very..._negative._

The doctor who was seated next to Amy on a stool stood up as they walked in. A nurse was taking her temperature. As for Amy, she was still asleep, looking peaceful and content. When the duo approached the bed, the doctor gave them both a nod and then looked at Tails. 'Glad you could make it in time, Tails.'

Tails nodded in acknowledgment, trying to ignore the irritation he was feeling. He asked, 'How has she been, doctor?'

Sonic stood next to Tails with his arms crossed and he shot a glance at Amy. She seemed much better now. The sleep was doing her good which made the blue hero feel calmer. He then turned his attention to the doctor.

'She has been having a rise in temperature for the last five minutes. If this keeps up, I believe she'll have to stay here for longer.' the doctor let out a sigh and then retrieved the tiny test tube from his coat pocket. He then handed it to the young fox. Medical issues that dealt with the mystical power of Chaos were beyond his area of expertise. When he had noticed the green hue around the test tube in the lab, he had been perplexed. So when Sonic had suggested he call Tails, the doctor had agreed without hesitation. If there was someone who knew how to deal with such mysteries better, he didn't mind consulting them, even if that someone was a young eleven-year-old fox.

Tails held the test tube in his hand and studied the red liquid inside it with a small frown. There was that green, throbbing light that was shimmering around it and for some odd reason, the light seemed to throb faster when it was near Amy. Tails looked at her to see if there was any change in her, but there was none while he tried to fight off the weird feeling he kept experiencing.

'I'll leave you two alone with her. Run by my office if you need anything.' the doctor said with a look of exhaustion. He stifled a yawn and then left the ward with the nurse, leaving Sonic and Tails with a very sick Amy. The atmosphere now was quiet and still, save for the slow ticking of a clock somewhere on the back wall. A cool breeze blew in through the open window on their right.

Sonic watched Tails study the liquid. After a moment of silence, he asked, 'What could it mean, Tails?' He searched the blue eyes of his brother-like-figure for an early answer.

'I-I don't know, Sonic. I may have to run a special scan on her to see for myself. It doesn't look like it's anything simple.' Tails replied as he walked over to the side of the bed and sat down on the stool.

The young two-tail studied Amy for a moment as if trying to make out any signs of fatigue or unusual pallor on her face. Whatever it was that caused her to collapse was inside her. Exterior symptoms were none. Tails was also aware that Amy had never harnessed Chaos energy before and so her body was naturally not used to the sudden surge of energy that was flowing through her at the moment.

'You don't think it's anything…serious, do you?' Sonic's gentle voice cut through his trail of thoughts. The blue hero was now seated opposite Tails on the edge of the bed.

Tails shook his head in response as he looked at Amy. 'I can't say anything yet. But Sonic, 'He looked at him as he asked; 'Did you…feel anything odd when you were with her in the apartment earlier?'

Sonic thought for a second and then shook his head, 'No, which is weird because I've always been able to sense chaos energy before. I didn't feel anything until I was…' he looked at Amy now. '…until I was here in this very ward, Tails.'

Tails looked at the test tube containing Amy's blood. 'In that case, the Chaos energy is definitely inside her system. She doesn't seem to be emitting it, although -.'

'Oh and there's this other thing.' Sonic cut in. 'This chaos energy doesn't seem to be positive. I've had this weird feeling ever since I stepped in and…it wasn't great.'

'I've been feeling it too, and I think it's negative Chaos energy.' Tails responded. 'That could not mean anything good, Sonic.'

'What do you mean by that?' Sonic asked as he was beginning to feel slightly panicked.

'I…well, you see,' Tails began, feeling hesitant. 'Amy has never tapped into Chaos energy before, right? So that means her body won't be able to adapt to the powerful energy that's within it. Also, negative Chaos energy would make things worse, Sonic. If it was positive, we wouldn't have to worry so much.'

Sonic sighed and looked at his former pink teammate. There was negative chaos energy within her now and if it wasn't taken care of quickly, something could go wrong. And Sonic didn't want her going through any more pain than she already did. He alone knew how fragile she had looked when she had collapsed earlier. At that moment, Amy was in pain, and he knew that she needed him and her friends now more than ever. And so the blue hero was confident that they would find a cure; he was determined to stay at her side till she was up and running again, till she returned to her usual cheerful self that he had always silently adored. And so with a look of resolve, Sonic turned to look at Tails, emerald green eyes glowing with hope. He didn't want to give up; he never did anyway.

'Let's help her, Tails. Let's do everything we can to make sure Ames gets well soon.'

\- xxx -

Knuckles was crouching in front of the Master Emerald, his hands placed on top of his head, eyes squeezed shut, tiny sweat drops forming on his forehead and his whole body shivering. Rouge kept rubbing his back in comfort, her own words of reassurance denying the sense of panic that was rising within her. This feeling was new and unusual to the brave Guardian.

_Very_ unusual.

He didn't know what to think, to feel, or even to say. An hour ago, the echidna had sensed something coming from the giant mystical Emerald. Back then, he didn't give it much thought, deciding that he would wait for more signs.

However, this was not the sign he was looking for.

Knuckles slowly looked up at the Emerald. It seemed to be giving out an otherworldly glow; rather than the bright green glow it usually gave out.

And it was trying to communicate with him. It had been trying for the past one hour and the red echidna had overlooked it. Seldom had the Emerald ever tried communicating with him. When it did, it was always never this excruciating. This time, something was different. It was as if the Emerald was desperate to communicate and this made him feel uneasy. Something was definitely very wrong for this to be happening.

_Dammit!_

As Guardian, Knuckles felt the energy of the Master Emerald getting through his skin as it tried to communicate. This made him weak and exhausted – to the point that he couldn't even stand up. Whatever it was, it didn't seem to stop and the pain rising within him didn't seem to stop either.

_'What is it, Tikal!?' _Knuckles asked the one person who obviously held answers to what was going on.

And then, the pain rose.

\- xxx -

'A bio-scanner.' Tails repeated as he looked at Sonic, his blue eyes glowing with excitement.

'Alright so, how does it work?' Sonic asked, clearly confused and intrigued.

Tails took something out from his brown work belt. He then held out a portable tablet to Sonic. 'All I need to do is scan the sample of Amy's blood. Then once the results are ready, it'll tell us how critical her condition is. Once I have that data and several other readings, I can come up with a cure.'

Sonic stared at Tails with wide-eyed amusement. He had always been proud of Tails' intellect. 'Right, then should we scan it now?'

Tails nodded as he retrieved the test-tube and placed it in front of him on the side table. He then held out the tab in front of it and scanned the liquid inside the test tube.

'This'll take a few minutes, Sonic.' Tails said as he studied the figures that soon began appearing on the screen.

Sonic nodded as he decided to wait. He then looked at Amy. The pink hedgehog still looked peaceful - her chest was rising and falling gently, her skin slowly regaining its color, her quills now neater than it was before. The nurses were truly taking care of her and this touched him. She has to be taken care of now; she needed to be given every bit of attention. Sonic didn't want anything happening to her when there wasn't anyone around to look after her while she was in this condition.

Sonic still shuddered at the thought of what could have happened had he decided to not go visit her as he did. Who would have spotted her? Who would have taken her to the hospital? Or worse: How could anyone have even known that she collapsed? At the time, Amy had called out to him desperately, knowing that he would help her, that he wouldn't turn his back on her. Even after a whole month of him not having had visited her, she still didn't let the trust she had in him go away.

Sonic then realized how much his friends always relied on him. During the past years when something was always happening that disrupted their daily life, his friends had always known that with him on their side, they stood a chance at making things better. And that's what the blue hero always wanted – to make things better for everyone around him. He didn't want anything happening to his friends – their safety and well-being always being his top priority. That one time when Time Eater had captured them and sent them off to different zones, he had been greatly concerned. He knew that they all relied on him to get them back and he had vowed that he wouldn't stop until he did. And he had a friend to help him too and so he wasn't entirely alone in saving the day.

Running around and saving lives was always what he did best. It was something he always enjoyed. Sonic knew that even now, during these days of peace, he would not stop doing that; and so now here he was, sitting on the edge of the bed, watching one of his best and trusted friends sleep peacefully while in a very sick state. Back at the apartment, Amy needed him, she knew that he would do something to help her – and he did. He had rushed to get her to the hospital, and he had been so desperate. The trust everyone put in him wasn't something the hero took for granted. He always did what he felt was right, and he stood for what was right.

And as Sonic watched Amy sleep peacefully, he made up his mind. Once she woke up and was up and running again, Sonic promised himself that he would take her out on a run. He would hold her close to his chest in his arms, just as he had done countless times, the very first time being when he had rescued her from Metal Sonic many years ago. Sonic would run across the plains and hills, feeling the air rush through his quills, enjoying his freedom, while hearing Amy's joyous laughter – laughter he so yearned to hear at the moment.

_Once this is over, Ames._ Sonic thought. _I promise I'll take you out on a real date_.

Sonic then recalled the many times Amy had asked him out on a date. Once, he was even close to going but that was when he had got summoned by Merlina, who had wanted him to save her from the black knight. By the time he had finally got back, Amy was clearly annoyed at the fact that he had missed out on their planned date. Sonic at the time never really saw her in any way other than as a friend. He was always looking for ways to avoid her, sometimes asking Tails to distract her for him so that he could escape.

Now though, he was feeling differently. It was like he didn't want to leave her side even for a minute. He felt inclined to stay and help her get back on her feet. This was a new and very different feeling which the brave Hero of Mobius would slowly begin to understand in the days to come.

'S-Sonic?' Tails' voice cut through once again.

Sonic turned to look at his best friend. 'What is it, Tails? Did you find a cure?'

Tails had remained silent since the scan until now. The young fox looked worried and scared, which made Sonic feel uneasy.

'I-I don't know, Sonic. The results are very bizarre. I've never seen anything like this.' Tails said, his eyes still locked on the screen.

'_Bizarre?_ You mean there is no cure?'

'No, that's not it.' the young two-tail shook his head as he looked at Sonic. 'Sonic, the negative Chaos energy that's within Amy is spreading throughout her body. And, the energy is largely unstable…' Tails stopped for a moment to compose himself but found that he couldn't. 'If this keeps up…th-then I don't think Amy can go on for longer, Sonic. Her organs could collapse since her body is incapable to handle the energy. She- she could…'

Tails broke off as he felt himself choke up in tears. He didn't want this either, not for a friend he had always known and who had always helped him – a friend who was ready to protect him when there wasn't anyone around.

Sonic noticed this and so he quickly sped over to his side and grabbed his shoulders. Emerald green met bright blue as the hero spoke, 'Hey, come on, Tails. We'll find a way, just like we always have. As long as there's a cure to help Amy, we can do it. I trust you, buddy.'

Tails sniffed as he wiped away his tears and nodded. 'Y-you're right, Sonic; and there is a cure. But for that, we need to get something we haven't used for an entire year.'

Sonic tilted his head to the side and asked, 'And what's that?'

'The Chaos Emeralds, Sonic.'

Only then did Sonic realize the gravity of the situation.

-xxx-

Knuckles stood at the edge of the floating Angel Island, looking down at the vast area below him that was covered with a lush, green forest. A few miles away, he could make out Emerald city where his friendly nemesis Sonic stayed. He was feeling much better now as if the pain he was going through earlier had never existed.

The past few minutes had been perplexing to him and Rouge. Tikal had shown them something they had never expected to see and informed them that they had very little time to act.

His mind was still full of questions…

**_A few minutes earlier - _**

'Knuckles, you have to not let it control you!' Rouge yelled, feeling panicked more than ever. His condition was getting worse where he was close to collapsing.

'Grr…I _can't_!' Knuckles yelled back at her and he tried to look up at the Master Emerald that was glowing brighter than ever. He could barely control his breathing now.

_What are you trying to tell me?!_

_'Knuckles…'_

Knuckles looked up when he finally heard Tikal's voice in his head.

_'Knuckles, listen to me, something is disrupting the balance in your world. Chaos energy has gone loose and if it's not taken care of quickly, the Master Emerald will put a stop to it.'_

'Isn't that the best option?' Knuckles asked. 'If the energy is causing havoc, then shouldn't we put a stop to it?'

Rouge listened to what Knuckles said, worry in her eyes. She knew he was speaking to Tikal and so she remained patient.

_'It's not that easy.' _Tikal responded.

'What do you mean?' Knuckles asked as the pain in his body was slowly beginning to subside now since the communication was working.

_'Let me show you…'_

Both Rouge and Knuckles stared with wide eyes at the Master Emerald as it began to create a three-dimensional holographic image of someone. It was someone they knew so well.

'_Amy…?_' Rouge asked, feeling perplexed.

Knuckles looked dumfounded. 'What does Amy have to do with this?'

_'She…she's the one who possesses the unstable energy, Knuckles. I don't know how she has it but something has to be done quickly or the Emerald will put a stop to it. You know what that would mean…'_

**_Present-_**

Knuckles recollected what Tikal had said. Unstable energy within Amy was something that had never happened before. As far as Knuckles knew, she had never harnessed Chaos energy. So how could this even make sense?

'Pfft…I wonder what Sonic may feel once he hears this.'

He then felt a hard slap on the back of his head that made him flinch. He turned to face Rouge.

'Hey, what did you do that for?!'

Rouge stood facing him with her hands on her hips. 'This is not the time to joke around, Knuckles. We need to go see what we can do to help her.' There was a sense of determination and concern in the eyes of the elegant bat that always seemed to have an effect on the red echidna.

Knuckles sighed as he nodded and stood up straight. 'You're right. But first, we have to tell Sonic and Tails. They need to know what's going on.'

'Okay, try to keep up then, handsome.' Rouge said and she gave him a soft peck on his muzzle, she then took off into the night sky, flying gracefully in the air as she headed for Emerald City.

'Hey, come back here!' Knuckles called after her and, after getting no response, he smirked and looked back at the Emerald.

_Is it okay if I leave it unguarded for some time?_ He thought. He then realized that it was very late into the night. All the encounters he had faced until then had taken place before midnight. He guessed that even the rival groups needed their time to rest.

Taking a deep breath, Knuckles then took off from the Island, expertly gliding in the air as he headed for Emerald city as well.

* * *

There, chapter 5 has been finally done! It was a bit difficult to work on this chapter since I really wanted to understand how the characters would feel in the situations they were in. I also had to rethink the ending a couple of times.

By the way, I know I mentioned Tails having a work belt as he does in Sonic Boom. That doesn't necessarily mean that this fanfic is based on the Sonic Boom universe. The universe this fanfic revolves around is up to your imagination. :)

Anyway, thank you for reading this and if you have, kindly review!

See ya until next time! :)


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6**

* * *

'The Chaos Emeralds…we need the Chaos Emeralds…'

Sonic was walking back and forth in front of the open window of the ward, thinking aloud about what Tails had mentioned. It had been a year since he had used the seven powerful Emeralds. Once Doctor Eggman had been defeated, the seven Emeralds had scattered across Mobius just as they usually did after they had served their purpose. They had stayed hidden for weeks in the vast plains and forests of Mobius, amidst the silent unexplored reaches of the planet. While Sonic, Tails, and Amy traveled to various villages to help rebuild, they had been painstakingly looking for the Emeralds as well. After a long, grueling search, the Emeralds were found and brought back together. Now they were being kept on the Master Emerald Shrine on Angel Island, inside a hidden vault; and only the team knew of its whereabouts. They hadn't been used since.

But now, here was Sonic, the hero of Mobius, contemplating using them again after nearly a year. The mystical power of the Emeralds could help cure Amy. He was almost certain it would. They didn't require all of the Emeralds; just one among them was enough to cure her. At least that was what Tails told him.

Sonic sighed wearily as he stopped in front of the open window, looking out into the night sky as his mind raced with thoughts. Using an Emerald to cure Amy only proved how serious her condition was. He tried to think back to any event that could have caused this but he couldn't find one. Negative Chaos energy had been concentrated at someplace, and Amy must have walked into it. What the hero had to know now was where and how it could have happened. It was simply something too bizarre, even for him who, while having had gone on various runs across Mobius since the war, had never sensed any sort of Chaos energy anywhere. He found it hard to believe that Amy was indeed infected by it, but Tails proved it to be so, and he had no choice but to accept it. After all, ever since the doctor had shown him that test tube, he had been feeling an odd sensation coursing through his body much like he did whenever he had been exposed to negative Chaos energy before. He shuddered at the thought of Amy having it inside her, of her experiencing the pain of negative energy and going through it all alone. And he wanted to help her; be there for her, it was all he could do now, and so he would do it.

Sonic then looked at Amy. She was still asleep and looked to be getting better. He assumed that she would wake up anytime soon, and when she did, how would they explain what was happening? How would she react? No matter how it was going to be, he promised himself that he wouldn't let her go through it alone. He still blamed himself for what had happened. If he had kept in touch with her, he would have known, he could have, and they could have avoided it, right?

_Right…?_

'Sonic…?'

Sonic looked up in an instant as he shook his head from his thoughts. Tails was looking at him with concern, and the blue hero sighed. It has been a long night. 'What is it, buddy?'

The young two-tail let out a short yawn and got off the stool he was sitting on. He then walked over to Sonic while holding the portable Bio-scanner. 'Are you alright? You seem upset, Sonic.'

Sonic looked at the bright blue eyes of his best friend. The eyes were searching him with concern like they always did whenever Sonic was hurt or in pain. This made the blue hero feel better, like a bit of the load he was carrying on his shoulder had been taken from him, giving him a chance to feel lighter than he did. Tails had never left his side, he had always been there ever since they first met many years ago. Whenever he felt low or upset about something, the young fox had always been there to support him and make him feel better. Sonic knew he could trust him, he knew he could rely on him; it was something the blue hero was truly grateful for.

He nodded with a small happy smile, and said, 'I will be, Tails. Don't worry.'

Tails looked at him for a moment and then shook his head slightly. It was better to not talk about it. He recalled how Sonic had reacted when he had mentioned what was needed to cure Amy. It was an expression he hadn't seen on the face of his hero and best friend since the war against Doctor Eggman.

'Alright, Sonic.' he said, 'I still need to look at a few more figures to see if I can find an alternate solution to cure Amy. So, I'm going to step out for a bit to do so.'

When Tails had mentioned the Chaos Emeralds, Sonic had been really worried. The young fox had sensed that and he too didn't want anything to do with the Emeralds. So he decided that he would try to find another cure. But staying in the ward for too long made him tire easily. It wasn't the same as sitting in his workshop where he had all his inventions and notes surround him. He liked working in a productive environment, especially when he was coming up with something as important as finding a cure to save a friend. And so he decided he would step outside in the open terrace to think while studying the constant figures that kept appearing on the tab.

Sonic smiled at Tails and pet his head. 'That's okay, Tails. I can't ask so much more from you since you're doing a lot already. I'll come to get you if something happens.'

Tails nodded with a smile. 'Alright, Sonic.' and with that, he walked out of the ward, leaving Sonic alone with Amy. The cool breeze blowing in through the open window made the blue hero shiver once more and he considered closing the window but then thought against it. He wanted the fresh air to fill the ward, thinking it would help Amy get better. And he loved the smell of fresh air. He always did. After years of running around chasing badniks, egg bots, and rescuing friends, fresh air was something he yearned for. The rush of the wind through his quills as he ran was something he enjoyed - freedom was something he always enjoyed.

Sonic then sped over to the bed and sat down on the edge gently, careful not to wake her. He then looked out the window at the night sky as he thought about the Chaos Emeralds. It was said that the Emeralds appeared whenever they were needed most. And Sonic wondered if they would appear now or anytime soon. As much as the blue hero didn't want to use the Emeralds, he knew that if there wasn't any other way they could cure Amy; he would resort to using them. He wouldn't have any other choice then. And he promised himself that he would fight to cure her, even if everyone else lost their hope. Amy was one of his best friends and he couldn't let anything happen to her. He wouldn't. Not when they had been through so many adventures together, countless missions and experiences. He simply couldn't let a trusted friend of his go through pain when he was positive that they'd find a cure. They did have one now anyway.

Sonic then turned and looked at Amy as she slept. A small smile crept on his lips. So many adventures and experiences; he had shared it all with her. And so he wasn't going to say goodbye to any of them, even those times when she had been crazy about him. As much as he had found her annoying back then, he couldn't stop chuckling at the memories every time they sprang up in his mind. Since the rebuilding was over, he had always been thinking about her, and it was never intentional since something always reminded him of her. On most days, Sonic tried to clear his head from her thoughts; but, no matter how much he tried, he couldn't. And with each thought, he felt that feeling rise within him – the same feeling he had experienced when he had thought about her earlier at Tails' workshop. It was an unfamiliar feeling, and he wondered why he felt that way. He had known her for years, had run away from her, fought Eggman robots with her, rescued her, even _fought_ her, and never had he felt anything towards her then.

So why now?

And even if he was to fall in love with her now, would she love him back? The last few years had shown that Amy was starting to act more mature. She never displayed her affections openly, except for a few subtle signs here and there. She was growing up to be an independent and mature female hedgehog who was capable of finding her own way through this world. From the young, love-struck Amy he had saved from Metal Sonic so many years ago to this new Amy was a change he felt proud of. And he knew he had to be happy for her.

_She has got no feelings for you anymore… _The voice in his head teased.

_That's not relevant right now!_ He shot back.

_That's what you think._

'Sonic…?'

Blue eye ridges shot up when he got pulled back into the present once again. This was beginning to happen quite a lot. He couldn't help it. Sonic turned and found his delicate female friend wide awake, staring at him with concern written in her eyes.

'Amy…' Sonic whispered as he moved closer. Relief washed over him since she was finally awake again, and he was glad she looked to be feeling better.

'How long have you been waiting here?' she asked softly.

Sonic shook his head and sat upright on the bed. He scratched the back of his head out of embarrassment as he said, 'Pretty long, Ames. I didn't want to leave you alone, you know?'

Amy beamed at him when she heard that. She felt grateful that he chose to stay, and she knew, that deep inside, she would have been upset if she woke up and found that she was alone in the ward with no one to ask her how she was feeling. Before she had gone to sleep, she had wondered if Sonic would leave. And as much as she didn't want him to worry too much about her, a part of her wanted him to stay. And so she felt touched that he did. She had gotten so used to his ignoring her in the past month that she wondered if she would have felt hurt had he left. She would have accepted it, and she would have thanked him later for having had brought her to the hospital. But she didn't have to worry about being alone anymore. Little did she know of the promise the blue hero had made to himself regarding her. It was a promise she would be grateful for weeks later. It was a promise that would save her life.

'Amy..?.'

She looked up at him and her jade orbs shimmered in happiness. Her hero was there with her. He had chosen to stay. And he wasn't going anywhere. There was nothing that could have made her happier at the moment. There was nothing she had to worry about now as long as he was with her.

'What is it, Sonic?'

'How do you feel now?' Sonic asked as he looked into her eyes. Something didn't want him to take his eyes away from her then.

'I feel alright, Sonic.' Amy replied gleefully.

Sonic smiled at that. 'Do you think you're ready to go back home?'

Sonic had wondered earlier if the hospital could do anything more to help cure her. Also, he didn't want to trouble the doctor with something he couldn't cure. Amy's well-being was in their hands now. Bringing the Chaos Emeralds to the hospital would prove to be risky, and so he had considered taking her to Restoration HQ where it would feel more secure. He was yet to talk about it with Tails, but he was sure that his young best friend would agree.

Amy looked down at her hands and nodded. 'I want to, Sonic. I don't want to stay here forever.'

Sonic then got off the bed and stood a few steps away to look at her. 'Do you think you can walk?' He asked. The cool breeze blew a little harder and Sonic shivered again. The weather outside was getting cold, but there was something different in the ward that made him feel warm. He saw Amy nod and gently pull the quilt away from her delicate frame, and the blue hero felt an urge to embrace her. His cheeks flushed a deep red and he quickly turned his face away, hoping that Amy didn't notice.

_Dammit…_

When he looked at her again, she was seated on the edge of the bed, with her hands placed on either side. She smiled at him warmly.

_She looks so beautiful, doesn't she? _It was his inner voice again.

_Quiet!_

Sonic gave her a quick nod and thumbs up as he tried to calm down his racing heart.

Amy got off the bed. And for the second time that day, Sonic felt his heart drop. Amy let out a yelp as her legs suddenly gave up on her, and she would have fallen down on the cold, tiled floor if it wasn't for Sonic who quickly sped over and held her up to prevent her from falling. Amy tried to stand up straight while using him for support. But her legs still chose to disobey her will, much to Sonic's shock and dismay.

Both hedgehogs then stared at each other with wide, panic-stricken eyes.

This was not going to be as easy as they had hoped.

\- xxx -

Tails sat comfortably on a bench on the terrace. The night was quiet and still. A few birds were still up but other than that, it was mostly quiet. The cool night breeze blew harder than it did but it didn't do much to the young fox who was busy studying the figures that kept appearing on the Bio - scanner. His young, intelligent mind was busy focusing on the figures so much so that he hardly felt the cold wind. Occasionally, he shivered; but he still remained where he sat.

'Let's see…' he thought out loud as his eyes remained glued to the screen. 'Amy has got Chaos energy that keeps spreading throughout her body at a rapid rate. Right now, it looks like it's focused on her lower body…'

Tails trailed off as the figures rose just then. The Chaos energy which was concentrated on her lower body seemed to accelerate at a constant rate.

'Amy may experience some sort of pain on that section of her body...' Tails said to himself as he began to feel slightly worried. If this continued, then the Chaos energy would keep spreading until it reached other parts of her body…like her heart. And if that happened, then…

With a single push of a button, Tails turned off the device and looked up at the city from where he sat, trying to calm down his frantic heartbeat. This was all simply too much. There was no way out rather than relying on the Chaos Emeralds. He knew that was the only way. Only the Emeralds would be able to fix this, and if they acted quickly, it could be prevented from spreading further. The figures stated that the energy was spreading at a slow pace. It was first concentrated in her stomach, but through time and lack of early treatment, the negative energy had grown and, by the will of Chaos, it began accumulating itself in her lower body before it slowly spreads back up her stomach to her heart.

Tails let out a sigh. He had told Sonic that he would try to find an alternative solution to cure Amy. Even though his best friend had tried to hide it, Tails could tell that Sonic was deeply worried. Very rarely had he ever seen Sonic so stressed out, and when he did, Tails wanted to do everything he could to help him. He never liked to see his hero cum best friend in a state of helplessness. But now, there wasn't any choice. They had to use the Emeralds, or rather just one, to cure Amy. And they had to do it fast.

The young two-tailed fox took the Bio - scanner and stood up to go back to the ward. If Amy 's condition grew worse, then that would mean she has to stay at the hospital for longer. Taking her back to her apartment now or anywhere else would be risky. It would cause problems. And so it was better to play it safe.

But he was worried about Sonic, and that was when he decided to call Knuckles; since the red echidna had the Chaos Emeralds kept inside a hidden cove on the Master Emerald shrine, Tails decided that he would tell Knuckles to bring one of the Emeralds over. There wasn't any time to lose. They had to act quickly. He turned on his communicator and waited for Knuckles to answer his call. It only took two rings.

'Tails, where are you?!' came the quick and irritated voice from the other end.

Tails was taken aback by the tone of his voice. It was unusual for it sounded desperate. Normally when he called, Knuckles responded in a lazy tone. This time though, it sounded like he had a sense of purpose. Tails decided to not focus on that for now. He had more important things that mattered at the moment.

'I'm not at home, Knuckles. I want you to meet me and Sonic at the Memorial hospital right away.' After a brief second of hesitation, the young fox added, 'It-it's Amy…she isn't feeling so well.'

Tails bit his lip as he tried to control his emotions. He knew that if he explained what was happening to Amy over the communicator, he wouldn't be able to finish. And so he decided that he would explain things once Knuckles arrived where he and Sonic were currently. But, he was in for a surprise.

'Looks like it's already happened, huh?' the red echidna asked matter-of-factly.

'Wait…what're you talking about, Knuckles?' Tails asked, feeling incredulous.

'Alright, Tails, I'll explain once I and Rouge get there. Just keep an eye on Amy.' And with that, Knuckles kept the call before Tails could say anything. The young fox stared at the communicator as he pondered over what Knuckles said.

'Looks like_ what_ has happened? Does Knuckles know about the Chaos energy inside Amy?'

Before his mind could wander off to other plausible explanations like it always did, he got a call from Sonic who sounded desperate and anxious:

'Tails? I need you to come down here buddy. Amy's in…a pretty bad shape.'

Tails' eyes grew wide as he quickly recalled what the figures had told him earlier. 'Alright, Sonic, I'm on my way!'

He then flew down the stairs of the terrace and along the corridors to get to the ward where Sonic and Amy were in. All the while, he tried to ease the feeling of panic rising in his heart.

\- xxx -

It was now well past midnight, the hospital was silent and calm as if trying to acknowledge the fact that a patient was feeling very ill. Except for a few nurses, the staff had all gone home to call it a night. So did the doctor who had attended to Amy earlier. He had told Sonic just before leaving that he would be there early to check on her again. She needed special attention since her condition was serious. The nurses had administered a few medicines to her that acted as pain killers. They helped. Amy was feeling slightly better; even her fever seemed to be vanishing.

A few minutes ago, when she had collapsed while trying to stand, Sonic had rushed out of the ward and called out to the first nurse he saw. She had rushed in, and so did the doctor soon afterward. Sonic had placed her back on the bed, and her face had been wet with tears. It wasn't because of what was happening; it wasn't because of her plight. Rather, the pain was too unbearable. Her legs felt like they were burning. The pain seemed to keep spreading and the pink rose tried not to groan or scream. Sonic was there by her side all along. There were anxiety and fear written all over his features as he stood right next to her, noting what the nurse and doctor were doing. They had seemed frantic themselves while getting a syringe ready and tried to keep her steady while they administered the injection that would subdue her pain. Sonic had helped keep her steady. He had put an arm around her shoulder while he uttered words of encouragement to her. They helped as well; and every time the two hedgehogs locked eyes, Sonic forced a smile on his face, trying to calm her down with the smile he knew she loved.

Once the nurse administered the pain killer, Amy felt more relaxed. The pain was slowly beginning to subside and she began to breathe more easily. Her vision that had begun to look blurry seemed to clear as well. Once they left, Sonic stepped aside to inform Tails about what had happened. It has been a few minutes now since he made the call; and now Sonic was seated on the edge of the bed beside her, never leaving her side even for a moment, except when he had to answer the call of nature which he did quickly.

Amy Rose lay on her bed, tucked under the soft blue hospital quilt as her thoughts wandered. The pink rose had never thought that things would end up being so hard. She had been alone for an entire month, with no one stopping by just to grab even a small bit of conversation. Even her hero, Sonic, had never bothered to stop by no matter how many times he had passed by her apartment. She had been alone, and back then, she wondered if things would get better, and being the positive female hedgehog she always was, she believed that things would end up getting better in the end. She always did. She didn't want to give up. That wasn't who she was. She wanted to be happy. She loved being cheerful and she always made sure she did what made her happy to cope with the loneliness. That was partly the reason why she visited families in the village. Doing that always made her happy.

And right now, she felt happier. When Sonic told her a few minutes ago that Tails was there at the hospital for her, her heart soared. It touched her that she had friends who cared, and she was eager to see Tails. She loved all the moments when the young fox had called. It had always made her feel good to tell him what she had been doing. She recalled Tails often telling her that he would tell Sonic to visit her. She was grateful that he did. She knew he did. But Sonic never came, and she knew it wasn't that Tails forgot, it was simply up to Sonic after all. It was still fascinating how Sonic finally chose to visit her hours ago. It had to be a day when something unexpected happened - a day when she would need a friend the most.

And right now, as she lay on the hospital bed while looking up at her handsome blue hero, she knew that deep inside, she was happy even though everything seemed difficult. She was glad that he was there with her. She remembered how, years ago when she was younger, she always yearned for his company. She was always going after him, chasing him, teasing him, trying so very hard to get his attention…but it wasn't that way anymore. It was kind of like a miracle how he chose to stay by her side this time. He could have simply dropped her off at the hospital, but he didn't just do that. He stayed. This time, she didn't have to chase him; she wasn't trying to get his attention either. He was simply there by choice.

What the delicate pink rose didn't know was how worried he was about her. Sonic never left his friends; he always helped them. Whenever he found out that one of his friends were in trouble, he would drop whatever it is that he'd be doing at the moment just to go help them. His friends meant everything to him. And so he didn't worry if there were a whole bunch of Mobians out there who disliked him or wanted to break him; because as long as he had his friends who would always support him and be there for him, he knew he'd never be alone. He could keep fighting. He knew he had a purpose, and he would do anything to protect his friends.

And that included a certain pink hedgehog as well. True, he had got irritated by her behavior in the past; he always wanted to be away from her. But that didn't mean he would never help her when she needed him. The blue hero never turned his back on anyone. And he wanted to do this; he wanted to be there for her. Leaving was not an option in his book.

Both hedgehogs then looked at one another; the silence of the ward seemed to create a certain sense of warmth around them, like a warm, comfortable blanket. They no longer felt the cold breeze that blew in, they didn't let anything take their attention away from each other when they locked eyes, not even the sounds of a few birds that were still awake. For some reason, Sonic wished he hadn't called Tails to get back to the ward. He wanted this moment to last. But he knew they had to cure her, and so he reassured himself that it was best he called his young best friend. But yet, deep down, he wanted to be with her for longer this way. He wanted to be alone with her.

He wanted to. . .

Thoughts inside the blue hero's heart came to a stop when his pink friend smiled softly and held the little finger of his gloved hand that was placed on the bed. Her jade orbs sparkled in silent gratitude and…love. It was something he hadn't seen in her for a long time, and so he felt touched. He wondered why he didn't feel inclined to step away as he did many years ago whenever she showed any signs of affection. He wondered why this time, it felt so different from her.

Slowly, he took her hand in his and held it gently, causing Amy to slightly widen her eyes from the sudden gesture of affection. What Sonic knew was that he wanted to savor the moment. Although the blue hero didn't know what the feeling was that was going through in his heart, he knew that he would understand soon. Right now, he just wanted to be with her.

Sonic smiled down at Amy who stared back at him with surprise. But then she relaxed when he didn't let go. She smiled with pleasure when he gave her hand a gentle squeeze; the soft smile on his lips never leaving. He didn't know why he felt the way he did. He was afraid to call it love, for he had never thought about the possibility of falling in love with her.

Sonic leaned closer as he was about to whisper something in her ear. He wanted to tell her about the promise he had made earlier, but just then, the door to the ward suddenly flew open; and he quickly let go of her hand.

Sonic and Amy turned to find Tails and Knuckles standing at the door, worry and anxiety written all over their faces.

Knuckles the Echidna stood wide-eyed. He never thought he would find Amy in such a prone and fragile state as this.

\- xxx -

During all the years that Knuckles had known Sonic, from the time they first met on Angel Island up till now, the red echidna Guardian had never seen the blue hero of Mobius look as worried as he did now.

It was clearly written all over Sonic's face, although he tried to hide it. Knuckles tried to recall any time at all when Sonic had been as worried as he did now. He remembered the blue hero having had worried about Princess Elise every time she had got kidnapped by Doctor Eggman back in Soleanna, but what he was seeing now was completely different. It was as though a part of the blue speedster was missing. Knuckles wasn't used to seeing his friendly nemesis this way, and so he felt uneasy.

Knuckles walked into the ward along with Tails who walked ahead. He had run into the young fox on a corridor of the hospital. When Tails had called him earlier, he and Rouge had been close by to the hospital and had been on their way to Sonic's apartment after having had not got any response from Tails' place. The two had been able to cover the small distance quickly to reach the hospital and had been running up the stairs and along a corridor when they bumped into Tails. After a brief explanation of what was going on with Amy, the trio decided to hurry over to the private ward Amy and Sonic were in.

It was while they were on their way that Rouge suddenly got a call from someone. She stopped mid-flight to answer the call and Knuckles and Tails did so as well. She gave a quick word of approval through her communicator and then looked at Knuckles. She didn't tell them who it was.

'I need to be somewhere else. It's urgent. Tell Amy that I'll come to see her soon.' And with a quick kiss, they parted ways, much to Knuckles' disappointment. He didn't like being away from her. But he let it slide for now.

As the red Guardian approached the bed, he looked at Amy who gave him a small, tired smile. She had clearly been in pain. It was evident. Knuckles could tell from the look in her eyes as she lay there, tucked under the quilt. Sonic was standing beside her now, having had got off the bed when they had made their appearance.

Knuckles nodded at Amy. Seldom had the two communicated throughout their life while fighting Eggman and other opponents. Even when they did, it had been awkward; however, since the formation of Resistance HQ, the two had gotten close due to the red echidna taking up the role of commander of the Resistance. Although their interactions had been minimal, he still felt concerned about her as much as Sonic and Tails did. He had never seen the pink hedgehog in this state. And he knew that this was going to be more difficult than what he had predicted.

He hadn't seen much of her the past few months, although he recalled having had heard of her activities and whereabouts. He remembered Tails telling him that when he had asked once. If Amy didn't plan her visits to the villages for the afternoon hours, Knuckles would have considered going with her. Leaving the Master Emerald unguarded in broad daylight was risky. In the evening, Rouge came over to spend time with him after her day at G.U.N. which meant that he hardly had time to visit her at all. He felt sorry for her.

Sonic looked at Knuckles with a smirk and asked, 'So, Knux, what brings you here?'

Knuckles then looked at Sonic with a tired expression, bringing up what he had experienced a while back gave him a headache. He then carefully recounted what Tikal had told him. Sonic's eyes grew wide as he listened. Knuckles left out the part about the Master Emerald putting a stop to the negative energy. He couldn't say that in front of Amy.

Once he was done, there was silence among them. Amy was slowly beginning to fall asleep again for which Sonic felt grateful. Due to the drowsiness, there was a chance that the delicate female hedgehog didn't catch everything Knuckles had just said. He didn't want Amy to know what was going on with her while she was in this present state. He decided he'd wait until later that day to tell her.

'So, what's the plan?' Knuckles asked.

'We do have a cure…' Tails told him as he took out the Bio - scanner once again. '…But I'm afraid we need to get the Emeralds. Well…at least one of them.'

Knuckles stood gaping at the young fox. 'The Emeralds? Are you kidding me, Tails? It's been ages since we've used them.'

Tails nodded. 'I know, Knuckles. The estimates provided by the Bio-scanner state that the amount of negative Chaos energy inside Amy is growing at a steady pace starting from her lower body. It's simply too powerful, and we have no choice but to use a Chaos Emerald to help restrict the surge of negative energy.'

Sonic sighed. 'That's right, Knuckles. We need a Chaos Emerald. And speaking of which, Ames collapsed while trying to stand a few minutes ago. It's like...her legs are paralyzed or...something...' He broke off as he looked away from them. He was still yet to recover from what he had seen earlier happen to her in her apartment.

Tails looked troubled when he heard that. 'That means we have to do this as quickly as possible. We _need_ a Chaos Emerald.'

Knuckles shook his head. 'That's just great. This means we'll have to open up that secret vault on the shrine…'

'Well, does it look like we have a choice? We need to cure Amy, and fast before she gets even worse.'

'I hope this will work though.' Knuckles said and let out an exasperated sigh. This was certainly not going to be easy.

'We're talking about a Chaos Emerald here, Knux. There is no need to doubt. Are you with me?' Sonic said as he looked at him. He was desperate. They all were. He couldn't let anything more go wrong. Enough has already. This was it. He would do everything he could to save her. He didn't want to let her go through any more pain. He wouldn't.

Knuckles stood with his arms crossed and looked at Amy. The red echidna appeared to be deep in thought as if contemplating what Tails had explained, and about Sonic's reasoning. Knuckles then looked at Tails, and then finally at Sonic. When the two locked eyes, there was a sense of understanding of what needed to be done. They both knew that if there was only one option left, they had to take it. Years of fighting opponents together had cemented a bond between the two. Knuckles was always someone whom Sonic could rely on, although at times, the gullible Guardian got easily fooled which had led to many fights between the two. There was no need to worry about that now though.

They nodded at each other without a word, and Sonic turned to look at Tails. 'Tails, you stay here with Amy buddy. Let us know if something goes wrong.'

'Alright, Sonic.' Tails said and nodded in agreement.

Both Sonic and Knuckles then left the ward, making their way over to Angel Island.

To the Master Emerald shrine.

To the Chaos Emeralds.

There wasn't any time left to lose.

* * *

My...that must have been quite a wait, hasn't it?

I'm so sorry. A lot has been happening since last month that simply gave me very little time to write up this chapter. I'm still busy and will be for another week.

But, if you're reading this chapter, thank you so much. A special thank you to all my followers and the ones who've put this story in their favorites. Thank you all so very much! You guys keep me going. I'm not doing this for myself. I'm doing it for all of you. ^_^

Also, care to take a few minutes to review? Just a few minutes so that I can know what you all think of this chapter and the story so far.

Until next time then. See ya :D


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7**

* * *

_To Flydaze_

_ If you're reading this, I would like to thank you for being patient. I assure you that I will complete this story. So, don't worry ;)_

* * *

Amy opened her eyes slowly and stared at the light grey ceiling above her. Her jade orbs glistened in the moonlight that shone in through the open window. The cool breeze had reduced to a gentle whisper a few minutes ago, and so she felt slightly warm. The pain that had been bothering her an hour ago was gone now, too.

She then felt something, or rather someone, next to her. When she turned to look, her delicate eye ridges rose to find that it was Tails.

Tails was fast asleep while seated next to her on a stool. He was resting his head on his arms on the side of her bed and was snoring softly. It touched her heart that he chose to stay by her side. She knew that it was Sonic who called the young two-tail to the hospital since Tails was her hero's best friend. Sonic must have probably needed some kind of moral support. She still didn't know what it was that was inside her; what it was that had caused her excruciating pain an hour ago. She was unaware of the kind of hurdles she would soon face over the next few weeks - both physical and emotional.

Amy reached out a hand and stroked Tails' head lovingly. She had always had a brotherly affection towards Tails and, although the two had seldom spent time together in the past, she still felt connected to him. She felt she could talk to him, let him know what was on her mind. Although he was young, the advice he gave her always seemed to have a certain kind of reasoning to them that she was always awed about. She knew everyone could rely on Tails, that everyone could trust his intellect. She recalled that moment while she was on Tails' massive ship that he had built to fight the Death Egg. She had stayed close by his side once she had gotten back on the ship along with the others after Sonic gave his orders.

She had panicked, yelled, screamed, and even cried and the young fox had stayed calm and focused throughout the entire ordeal. When Sonic, Shadow and Silver performed Chaos Control and vanished into space, she had held her breath. The tears had kept streaming down her muzzle; and, somewhere down to her side, she felt a certain kind of warmth. She felt a hand slowly take hold of hers and give it a gentle squeeze to reassure her that it was going to be okay.

It was Tails.

She smiled at the thought of that. Tails was such a good kid. He was pure, innocent and sweet. She knew she could rely on him just like how Sonic did. And that was why she stayed in touch with him over the past few months. It wasn't just because she knew that Tails would tell Sonic what she was up to, it was because she wanted someone to talk to as well. All the conversations she had with the young fox over the past few months had helped her cope. They had helped her pull through, and Tails was always ready to listen to her and offer advice. She had never told him what was troubling her, about the pain she felt every now and then, the constant feelings of loneliness and sadness. She didn't want to make him feel worried about her. She didn't want him telling Sonic who would then be forced to check in on her.

Sonic checking in on her...Sonic...

Thoughts of him speeding by her apartment came back to her mind, and she felt sadness take over her heart again. Amy knew Sonic would never fall in love with her. She had always known that; but, somewhere deep inside, she had always hoped for a difference. She always anticipated the day when he would walk in to declare his feelings for her; at the same time, she anticipated the day when he would introduce her to his girlfriend. She smiled and chuckled softly at that for she had always pictured someone beautiful, witty and smart to fit Sonic.

_He would never like me. I'm not witty and smart at all…I don't even know if I'm beautiful enough._

She felt Tails shift slightly. Her hand was still placed on his head and the young fox seemed to like that in his sleep. She smiled again. Once she got out of the hospital, she promised herself, she would make him his favorite pie and Sonic his chili dog to show them her gratitude. Amy smiled contently. Yes, she would certainly do that.

It was then that she realized that it was just her and Tails in the ward. She squinted in the dark to make out any silhouette of a sleeping Sonic, but couldn't find any. Her mind raced with thoughts. Did he finally decide to go home? But he had said he would stay – she knew deep inside that he meant what he said then. And besides, she looked down at Tails who was still sound asleep, didn't Tails have his classes? Even though she felt grateful that he was there with her, she wondered why he was with her at the hospital when he should be at home resting peacefully instead. If Sonic indeed needed support, he wouldn't leave Tails at the hospital all by himself while he went back home and got rest. He would never do that.

She felt confused and lost. Somewhere at the back of her mind, she could remember seeing Knuckles and Tails burst in through the door of the ward she was in earlier. She could remember seeing their faces - they had a look of concern and worry in their eyes, even a look of fright. But, she couldn't remember anything after that...what she did know was that Sonic had been there with her then.

_So, where is he now...?_

\- xxx -

It was now around 2 AM and Sonic was running at the speed of sound. As he ran, he could feel the silence around him, except for the rapid scraping of his shoes on the ground. The birds that had seemed to be awake earlier were now finally asleep and it was a quiet, starlit night.

Sonic expertly avoided the tall trees that appeared on his path now and then, jumped across narrow streams, raced along small, steep hills and throughout, he felt the wind of freedom blow through his long, slender, yet sharp blue quills. Once he reached a plain clearing, he closed his eyes for a moment and took in the feeling. It was a feeling he always loved. He would never trade this feeling for anything else in the world; not even for love. He had decided that if he were to fall in love, it would be with someone who would respect his choices, someone who would respect and appreciate his thirst for freedom, and secretly, he wanted it to be someone who would be willing to join him on his adventures as well…someone whom he could share this feeling with – this exhilarating feeling that he loved so much.

And that was when he thought of Amy.

He frowned.

Why her? Why Amy? He had never seen her as anything more than as a friend. So why...since the last few hours, ever since he had set foot on her doorstep, and saw her standing there in front of him with her glistening jade orbs and lovely short quills, did his heart not stop beating a step harder each time he thought of her? Why did it all have to happen now? Why after all these years? He had seen her countless times and never before had he felt this way about her. So how is this any different?

He suddenly skidded to a halt when he entered the forest and stopped to look up at the night sky. The tall trees partially hid the sky from view, and so he could only make out a glimpse of the stars - it was like a starlit pathway running through the canopies.

Sonic closed his eyes again and took in a deep breath of the fresh air to calm his heart. When he let it out slowly and opened his eyes, he felt more aware of everything around him. He became aware of his surroundings; he became even more aware of why he was there at that very moment.

He then placed a hand over his heart and felt the heartbeat. When he looked at his hand after a few seconds, he knew that it was never wrong. What the heart told and conveyed to its owner was never wrong. And as he stood there in the silence of the night under the starlit night sky, and with the cool breeze blowing through his quills, he knew that his heart wasn't wrong either. Everything he felt about Amy was real. There was no doubt about it. All he had to do now was figure it out. He had to place the pieces of the puzzle in their proper locations to make sense of what his heart was saying. He closed his hand into a fist and looked above.

All of that could wait. Right now, he had a purpose to fulfill. He felt needed again, more needed than he had ever felt. It wasn't the world he was fighting for this time; it was for a dear friend's life. She needed him, and so he didn't want to let her down. He trusted his heart to let him understand everything in time. But for now, he was on a mission.

Sonic then looked ahead. With a deep sense of purpose, he took off once again into the night. His emerald green orbs had a certain sense of seriousness in them - a motive. He was out to help a friend. It was something he would never stop doing, even if he had to do it alone; for that was who he was.

Once he got out of the forest, he saw the red echidna high above, gliding gracefully. Seldom had the blue hero of Mobius seen his friendly nemesis glide. He recalled him doing so only a few times and each time, he had been awestruck. When Sonic looked up at him, he saw that Knuckles looked straight ahead. Just a few more kilometers and then they would arrive at Angel Island. Sonic hoped that they would find the Emeralds there. They were the only hope to save Amy.

_Amy…_

He felt his heart clench at the thought of her – the thought of her lying prone and fragile on the hospital bed, that tired look in her eyes, that feeling of helplessness. He had never seen her that way. And so it hurt him emotionally to see her now. He hadn't wanted to leave her side, but he knew he had no choice back then. He had to do this for her.

And so he ran with purpose and determination. He reached a stretch of land that led to the massive floating island. Above him, he could find Knuckles slowing down. He was just about to do the same when suddenly, he felt a rope fall around his neck which brought him to a stunned, screeching halt. The rope pulled him hard from behind and made him hit the rough ground, thereby scraping his elbows. He chocked when he felt the noose tighten around his neck.

_Ark! What the-?_

He could see a figure stand in front of him while holding the rope, smirking at him. He felt trapped, and he could feel his breath catch in his throat when the figure roughly pulled him closer, thereby tightening the noose even more.

He then looked up at the sky with wide, panic-stricken eyes.

'KNUCKLES!'

-xxx-

Amy felt a sudden jolt of pain course through her stomach. It was pain much like the one she had experienced back in her apartment. She groaned softly since the pain was excruciating.

_No…not again._

Another sharp jolt of pain shot through her side and she gasped out loud, to which Tails awoke with a start. When he laid his eyes on her, he panicked and quickly got off the stool to take his bio-scanner.

'Amy, hold on!' he cried as he fumbled with the switch.

'T-Tails…I can't' she gasped as the pain rose considerably and she felt close to losing her consciousness. She felt her vision about to fade, to dim…to blur. She couldn't bring herself to breathe properly and for some odd reason, she felt she was about to leave forever...

'Amy!'

She got brought back into reality as Tails quickly scanned her. His eyes grew wide at the readings. 'No, no, no, no, NO!'

Tails quickly looked at her and placed both his hands on her shoulders. 'Amy, stay with me!'

She looked at him with a dazed expression and felt her insides burn. She choked back tears. 'I-I'm sorry, Tails...'

She then blacked out.

-xxx-

Sonic shot his eyes open with a gasp when he felt the noose tighten around his neck more.

He never liked this feeling – this feeling of being restrained, contained, of not being able to move. It was something he always feared. He fears not being able to run, to feel the wind. He fears the day his freedom gets taken away from him if at all that day ever comes, and he hoped with all his heart that it wouldn't.

At that moment, he recalled the time when he got imprisoned by Eggman. It was during the resistance, and he had been so desperate to escape, to get back his freedom. And just when he thought things were about to get worse, he was free and running again, and fighting for everyone else's freedom like he always did.

Sonic then opened his eyes to look at his oppressor. Before him, stood a female cat with white, creamy fur and striking red orbs that seemed to glaze in the moonlight. She glared down at him with distaste.

'This one was easy, and you said he was the fastest thing alive? I expected him to be a hard catch.' She asked as she turned to look at her comrades, who were all male cats dressed in black just like her. One of them snickered.

'Maybe not for you, chief.'

She chuckled softly in delight and pulls the rope up, thereby bringing Sonic upon his knees. He was struggling to breathe and shot daggers at her through gritted teeth.

'What a pity. It's a shame they call you the hero of this miserable planet.' she said and laughed. 'You're _mine_ now, hedgehog.'

Suddenly, there were gasps and shouts of fright from behind her. She quickly turned to look while still holding onto the rope. She raised her eye ridges in surprise at the red echidna who stood in front of her while holding one of her comrades by his collar. The rest were knocked out.

Knuckles glared at her. 'You picked the wrong duo to _mess_ with, lady.'

She glowered in anger. Sonic then quickly used the distraction to perform a spin dash. He cut through the rope easily and in the process, shot some of the sand on her back as he sped over to Knuckles. He stood up beside him and rubs his neck.

'Whew…talk about getting choked up at this hour!'

Knuckles didn't take his eyes off the cat. 'State your purpose before I beat the crap out of you.'

She rolled her eyes. 'Please, you expect me to not have seen this coming? Of course, I knew you were a distraction to let that blue twerp escape.'

'Wait, what did you just call me?' Sonic asks in confusion and annoyance.

Knuckles sighs exasperatedly and smacks his forehead. '_Sonic._'

The cat laughed and the two immediately took up a fighting stance. 'You see, just like how I knew you were a distraction, echidna, I've come prepared.'

She then snapped her fingers. Suddenly, more cats came out from the forest and were making their way over to them with speed and stealth.

Knuckles growls,' Bring it on, cat brains!'

From behind, a cat threw a net over Sonic who quickly jumped up in the air to avoid it. He then performed an aerial spin dash and tore through the net and onto the cat who got thrown back from the impact. He then spotted a few other cats behind him and expertly performed his signature homing attack on them, bringing them all down instantly.

On the other side, Knuckles was busy pummeling a few cats with his large knuckle fist. Some of the cats tried to capture him with their nets but he was able to tear through the net easily with his two spiked knuckles.

They continue taking down more cats effortlessly. They almost got trapped in nets or attacked but was quickly able to avoid the obstacles. With Sonic's speed and Knuckles' incredible strength, the two were unmatchable.

'Haha!' The short-tempered red Guardian laughed as he picked up a net and threw it over a few cats, trapping them on the spot. Most of the cats were down by then. When he turned to look for Sonic, he noticed a cat about to shoot a net at him from behind. His eyes went wide.

'Sonic, look OUT!'

Too late. The cat shot the net just when Sonic was about to side-step to avoid it. The net trapped the blue speedster and he fell down to the ground. _Hard_.

'No, dammit!' He tried to perform a spin dash, hoping to cut free but he couldn't.

The cat that had trapped Sonic quickly spoke something into his walkie talkie before being knocked out by Knuckles from behind who quickly made his way over to the blue hedgehog.

'Step away from him!'

A strong, deep voice from behind caused him to come to a halt. He turned to find a slightly built cat standing with a gun pointed at his head. Knuckles raised his arms up over his head.

'What is it that you guys want?!' He spat as he glared at him in anger and annoyance.

The cat smirked. 'We've already got what we wanted.' With that, he quickly shot a bullet. Knuckles leaped out of the way, bearly missing the shot. The cat then leaped into the air. He leaped across the tall rock tops and reached the floating island. He then used a climbing rope and started climbing his way up to the top with incredible expertise and speed.

Knuckles stared at him in shock. 'What the!?'

He then scans his surroundings quickly for the cat lady from earlier. He then punches his fist onto the ground in frustration.

'Dammit! It _was_ a distraction!'

'Knuckles!' Sonic gasped as he struggled to sit up. He didn't like being trapped. He didn't like being confined. Was he claustrophobic? He wasn't sure. But he needed to get out, he needed to be free, he needed to run.

Knuckles quickly became aware of the trapped hedgehog and turned to cut him free of the net.

'Chaos…!' the blue speedster gasped as he tried to focus.

'You okay?' Knuckles asked with a tone of seriousness and impatience. Angel Island was going to be in danger. This night had taken a turn for the worst.

Just when Sonic was about to stand up to respond, he got a call on his communicator. It was Tails.

'Tails! What's wrong?'

'S-Sonic, it's Amy! She's passed out!'

His eyes went wide in shock. Knuckles overheard what was said and looked concerned, yet determined. 'Go. I'll handle these canine idiots!'

Sonic turned to look at him with desperate eyes, He never liked doing this...but, he had no choice.

He nodded. 'Stay safe, Knux. And get the Emeralds.'

Knuckles nodded in consent and took off toward the floating island as Sonic ran back toward Emerald City in breakneck speed. This was the second time that his heart was hammering against his chest.

This time though, he was glad he wasn't carrying Amy.

-xxx-

Somewhere close to the Mystic Ruins, a dark, ebony hedgehog was resting his back on a pillar. He had his eyes closed as he let the information he just gathered sink in. He then opened his eyes, ruby orbs shone in the moonlight.

'So, Rose is infected with negative Chaos energy.' he stated.

'Uh-huh.' Rouge nodded in response as she stood with her arms crossed across her chest. She had her hips tilted alluringly to one side as if to entice the handsome ebony hedgehog who stood in front of her.

Sure, she was with Knuckles. And she loved him deeply. But with Shadow, it was different. She always tried to capture his attention in a way but it never seemed to work. After the lovely bat had got together with Knuckles, she had moved past it all. But, she still couldn't help it at times, especially when she was around him.

Rouge often thought about the countless times he had saved her and even shown his concern for her. She recalled the time he rescued her from Security Hall, even though he had claimed that he only did that to get the Chaos Emeralds. He never went further on that matter, but she always knew there was more to it than he let out. Although they both acted like allies, there were times when his gestures had touched her. It made her believe that even though he exhibited a cold and edgy behavior, he did indeed have a heart. After all, he was just like them all.

'What are the odds at curing her?' he asked. He had a look of seriousness in his eyes. Anything related to Chaos energy always mattered to Shadow.

'Apart from the Chaos Emeralds not doing their job? I don't see anything else,' Rouge responded as a matter-of-fact.

'Hmph. I doubt the Emeralds not functioning according to their purpose.' Shadow said as he looked away from her.

Even though he seldom spoke to the cheerful Amy, he still felt concerned for her. He wasn't the kind to exhibit any feelings openly. He never did, and so he preferred to keep them to himself. Shadow had always cringed silently whenever he saw Amy chase after Sonic in the past. He always thought he would get used to it, but each time, he always felt the same feeling of irritation when he saw the two.

What frustrated him, even more, was the fact that his blue rival never returned her feelings. What could possibly happen if he did, anyway? Would the world come to an end? Would the mad doctor finally seize victory? Would he be devoid of his freedom?

_His freedom…_

Shadow knows how much Sonic loves his freedom. Every now and then, he had caught the blue speedster running along green hills, the city, and even relaxing under meadows. That was what Sonic always adored - his freedom. He had been skeptical about Sonic at first when they met at Station Square all those years ago. Back then, he just saw him as pain and someone he felt was a waste of his time. But over the years, things had changed, and he grew to respect the blue hero of Mobius; especially since the events of the Death Egg.

_That's what faker wants most – freedom._

Amy would be perfect for him. She was a girl like none other Shadow had ever seen - resilient, graceful, talented and determined. He often thought about that one time on the ARK when she had convinced him to save the world. He had been so firm on not saving it until her words had struck a chord in his memory - of Maria...Maria telling him to give people a chance to be happy. He had then made up his mind, and he had kept the promise he had made to Maria, and at that very moment, to her.

Amy might have gotten on his nerves more than just a couple of times since then, but he saw how she had started to change. He saw her slowly start becoming more independent, smart and reliable. She is just like Sonic – someone who values freedom. And so Shadow was certain that Sonic wouldn't feel constrained if he got together with her. After all, she loves him.

_But that's Sonic's choice. Not mine._

'Shadow.'

He blinked and looked at Rouge as he came back to the present. 'What is it?'

'We should do something to help her...'

When he had called her earlier telling her to meet him near the lake at Mystic Ruins, she had felt something was up. The ebony hedgehog had never asked her to meet him unless it was something too serious, especially if it was related to G.U.N. And sure enough, it was something serious. Shadow had been feeling irritation at the back of his neck - a certain kind of energy that he wasn't too happy to feel. It was Chaos energy, and he knew it. What bothered him was how and from where it was coming from. He had to talk to someone, and that someone had to be reliable and trusted. It had to be Rouge.

Now, after the initial few minutes of explanation, he knew where the energy came from.

'Perhaps we should...' he said, more to himself than to her.

'We don't have much time.' There was a desperate tone to her voice, and her eyes had a look of worry in them.

'Time? I'm sure Sonic is doing his part as we speak.'

It was then that he felt it - the strong negative aura that he had felt earlier course through his tan body. This time though, it was stronger. It made him tense up, and this was the reason why he had called Rouge. He had a feeling she would know, and she did.

'It's getting worse.' He muttered, and Rouge had to lean forward to hear what he had to say.

'What?'

'Rose is in danger.' And with that, he quickly took off into the night, not bothering to explain further to Rouge who gaped at him and shook her head. She then took off after him, unaware of what to expect.

-xxx-

Back in the city, Sonic ran at full speed. His heart was still hammering inside his chest, and what was worse? He was running out of breath. He never ran out of his breath.

Ever.

This was a first. But he didn't have time to think over it. He had somewhere to be, and fast. He sighed in relief when he saw the hospital approach.

_I'm coming, Amy!_

-xxx-

Knuckles was quick to reach the top of Angel Island and looked like he could pummel ten cats at once.

'Damn that canine brat!' he let out when he saw that the island was uninhabited like always, with no sign of that built cat from earlier, or that female one who had attacked Sonic.

Knuckles then ran toward the one thing that stands out the most on Angel Island - the Master Emerald Shrine. He had a close eye on his surroundings as he ran, ready for anyone or anything that could spring out from the dark forest that enveloped the island. He knew for sure that the cat was there on the island somewhere. He had seen him climb up. But before he could catch up to him, the cat had simply disappeared as though he had never been there. And that was what bothered him most.

Was this another form of distraction? Another set up to get what they really wanted by making him focus on something else? But what could be even more important on the island than the Master Emerald itself?

It then struck him like a flash of lightning.

_The Chaos Emeralds!_

After the war, the Chaos Emeralds had been entrusted to Knuckles; just like how the Master Emerald was entrusted to him many, many years ago. He had sworn to protect both the seven Chaos Emeralds and the Master Emerald. Everyone relied on him to do so. And that was the reason why he didn't join Sonic, Tails, and Amy when they were out rebuilding. As much as he had wanted to help, he simply couldn't think of leaving the island unguarded in broad daylight when anyone could make an appearance to steal the giant mystical Emerald.

The Chaos Emeralds were kept in a hidden section of the shrine. It was deemed as the best location to keep the Emeralds - away from anyone who would use them for negative intentions. That way, Knuckles would be able to guard both easily without having to be at two places at once. And so he didn't want to fail at this duty.

He wouldn't.

As the red echidna guardian ran up the stairs leading up to the Emerald, he couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Something was definitely distracting him, something was definitely wrong. He didn't know what it was, but he hoped so hard that it wouldn't be something so bad for he was simply tired of letting everyone down with his foolishness.

How many times had he done it? How many times had he got fooled by Eggman so that he would act according to the Doctor's wishes and attack his friends? Mainly Sonic? He remembered how all those years ago before he first met Sonic, Eggman had tricked him into believing that Sonic was the enemy. It had led to a difficult start in their first meeting - with Knuckles constantly pulling tricks on him and Tails, to a point where he even had to fight Sonic. But little did he know then that meeting the speedy blue hedgehog would lead to a life of adventure and heroism. It has been a life he had never thought he'd get. Up until then, he had always been lonely - always by himself with nothing much to do other than performing his duty as Guardian of the Master Emerald.

And although he never showed it, he always felt deeply disappointed in himself every time he got fooled. He never liked it since every time it happened, it had led to his friends doubting him. What he didn't like most was being the cause of pain to his friends; but, he was quick to overcome his feelings of guilt and anger by looking for a way to resolve the situation. And Sonic had always been kind enough to forgive him whenever he got tricked.

And so he had to this right this time.

Once he reached the top, he stared at the Master Emerald for a long moment, as if waiting for Tikal to talk to him, or brief him up on what took place while he was away. Although he felt glad to find the Emerald intact and unharmed, he still felt uneasy as a deep sense of foreboding settled in his mind.

Without any second thoughts, he quickly went towards the altar and started feeling on the brick base for that one loose brick behind which, in a box, were kept the seven Chaos Emeralds. When he placed his hand on a brick and gave it a push, it went in and he found that it was the one. He then carefully removed the brick and reached out into the opening to look for the box.

It was gone.

_No..._

He thrust his arm deeper as it could go, desperately looking for the box, hoping that it was just kept somewhere deep inside, thinking that once he felt it, he would snap at Sonic for burying the box so deep inside the opening instead of placing it at a reachable location. But then he felt the tips of his hand touch the cold stone wall of the inner layer.

It was gone...

_No!_

He remained in that position, shocked, stunned into silence. He couldn't believe it.

_Not this time...no!_

It was true. But how? They had been cautious when placing the Chaos Emeralds in there. They had made sure that no one was watching them. So how? How could those cats have known that it was being kept there? It didn't make any sense!

He let out an exasperated sigh as he retrieved his hand from the opening.

_Get the Emeralds, Knux!_

_We have to do this as quickly as possible. We need a Chaos Emerald!_

Did he fail them? Again? What will happen to Amy now?

Frustrated, he brought his fist down hard on the stone floor with a growl.

-xxx-

Sonic sped into the ward with his eyes having a look of panic in them. Was he too late?

'Tails!'

'Sonic!'

Tails ran forward and wrapped him in a hug. He had been scared, panicky and worried the past few minutes ever since Amy had passed out. He had tried everything he could to get her back, but nothing seemed to help. His only hope now was on a miracle, and he hoped that miracle would be Sonic.

Sonic stared at Amy lying motionless on the hospital bed. His heart had reduced beating hard against his chest and he knew he shouldn't give up. Not then. He patted Tails on the back reassuringly and made his way over to the delicate rose in silence. Tails followed and stood behind him next to the bed, his face a teary mess.

The blue hero of Mobius gently placed a hand on her cheek and rubbed his thumb against it softly. He searched her face desperately, looking for any sign of consciousness.

'Amy...?' he hoped that she would open her eyes at the sound of his voice, just like how she always did many years ago. He recalled how her face always brightened up every time she saw him. It had always secretly touched him, although he never showed it.

'Ames...' he said softly and then sighed when he knew she wasn't going to respond.

'S-she won't wake up now, Sonic...and her pulse is weak.' Tails let out as he tried not to cry again. Only he knew the pain Amy had on her face when he had seen her earlier. She was clearly in so much pain.

Sonic didn't respond as he sat down on the edge of the bed and brought her close to his chest. He held her tenderly in his arms like she was made of something so precious.

He frowned. What could he do? Knuckles was still yet to return with the Chaos Emeralds, and he had got to the ward as fast as he could.

As he held her close, he felt something stir inside him - a certain kind of energy. And it made him feel slightly exhausted but at the same time, relieved. At that very moment, he felt Amy whimper ever so softly in his arms.

'Ames?'

She didn't respond but lay there. Tails inched closer when he heard the whimper, hope slowly rising up in his heart.

Sonic was confused. What did that mean? It wasn't an ordinary feeling that he had just felt. It was subtle yet strong enough to give Amy a little bit of consciousness. He could still feel the strong negative aura in her. The strong negative Chaos energy that he never liked.

_Wait...Chaos energy...?_

That was it. Chaos energy.

'Tails...' Sonic said with a hopeful look on his face.

'Yes, Sonic?'

'I think I know a way to wake her up.' he replied as he looked back at her.

Tails stared at him in awe. 'Wha-what way is it?'

Sonic then looked at him. 'I could try giving her my Chaos energy, I'm pretty sure it could help cure her for now.'

Tails stared at him with wide eyes, and then responded, 'But Sonic, that won't be enough to cure her completely. Besides, your Chaos energy isn't that strong.' he then added, 'It can...wear you out.'

_We have no choice, Tails!_ Sonic almost snapped but was able to calm himself down by taking a deep breath. 'It'll be okay, buddy. I've got this.'

Tails gave him a pained expression but then nodded. 'Okay, Sonic...'

Sonic gave him a smile and then turned to look at Amy. She looked so fragile and weak...he didn't want to see her like this anymore. And so he shut his eyes tightly to focus on channeling his positive Chaos energy into her, but before he could release even a small bit of it, the door to the ward instantly flew open, thereby breaking him off from his concentration to look at who had come.

Both Sonic and Tails stared with wide eyes at the two figures who stood at the door.

Shadow the hedgehog took off the inhibitor ring from his left wrist as he looked intently at Sonic.

'Leave Rose to me, faker.'

-xxx-

* * *

Oh...my!

I am so very sorry for this huge, huge delay. I know I should be quicker at posting but, I promise I'll try from the next chapter onwards.

Anyway, how are you all? These are difficult times. I sure hope you all are staying safe and protected. Don't venture out too much. The virus is getting worse in my country and everyone is hoping it'll die down quickly.

In the meantime, I hope you guys keep yourself entertained with activities of all sorts. Stay home and stay safe. Oh, and if you've read this chapter, care to post a review?

Thank you and until next time, see ya!


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